Harlyn Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s look at the Harlyn stretch for the next couple of weeks. I’ll be straight with you—this isn’t a pretty picture for surfers. The guidance is pointing to a long, flat spell with very little on offer. We’ve got a lot of small, weak, and poor-quality swell on the cards, so you might want to keep the board in the car for a while.

The water's sitting at about 66°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so the summer vibe is hanging on, even if the surf isn’t.

The first few days, right up through the 29th of August, are looking pretty gutless. We’re talking small, short-period windswell with combined energy readings in the low double digits – barely enough to push a ripple through the bay. It’s mostly cross-offshore breezes, but the swell is just too weak and the period is short, so it’s not going to be worth the paddle. The 28th and 29th see a bit more size, up to 5ft and 8ft, but the period is junk at 6-7 seconds, and the energy values, while in the low hundreds, are still not translating into any kind of rideable shape. Honestly, I’d skip it.

The 30th of August gives us a glimmer. The swell drops a touch to 6ft, but we get a proper offshore wind from the SSW in the morning. It’s still a bit of a gamble, marked as marginal, but that’s the first time it looks even semi-rideable. The combined energy jumps up to 505, which is a lot more promising.

Then it gets messy again. The 31st of August brings 8ft of swell, but it’s cross-shore and lumpy with a cross-chop, and way too much for this spot. The first of September drops to around 5ft to 6ft, but the wind is up and it’s not clean. The whole run through the first week of September is just cross-offs and moderate breezes with poor surf conditions. Not good.

The 4th of September shows another pulse of energy, with 8ft to 8ft swell, but again, the period is short and the wind is howling. It’s not a surfer’s wave.

The 5th of September has the swell holding at around 6ft from the W with an 11-second period, but the wind is directly onshore from the north. That’s a hard pass. The 6th is similar, just more of the same.

There’s another run from the 7th to the 9th where the swell fades right out again, back to sub-3ft, with cross-onshore and choppy conditions. The period is short, and it’s just a mess.

The 10th of September, which is Thursday, sees the swell kick back up to 7ft, then 8ft, with a period of 10-11 seconds and a big energy spike up to 1615. But again, the wind is onshore or cross-onshore. That’s going to be a lot of raw, unrideable power for a beach break like this.

So, I’m going to be honest with you: there are no standout days in this window. The best call might be that Sunday morning on the 30th of August, but it’s marginal at best. The bottom line is that the setup just looks more interesting for kite surfing than for paddle surfing, especially with the bigger swells and strong winds later in the run.

A blank run like this happens, especially for a sheltered spot like Harlyn. It’s not going to stay poor forever, and forecasts can change. Keep an eye on it, but keep your expectations low.

Later, Rusty.

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