Hideaway Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at the Hideaway (reef) for the next couple of weeks. This spot is a fickle little number, "rarely breaks", so when it’s on, you’ve got to be on it. The water temp is sitting pretty much average for the time of year, nothing unusual there.

We start off Thursday, 13th August, with tiny waves, only 1 ft, but a long 19-second period swell from the SSW. Energy is weak (233), but the wind is a light, clean cross-offshore. It’s small but clean. Friday morning is similar, 2 ft, still that long-period SSW swell, and the energy is starting to build (246). The real sweet spot is shaping up for Saturday, 15th August. The morning is glassy, 2 ft, and the swell swings more SW with a 18-second period, and the energy kicks up to 526. The water is flat calm, no wind. That’s as good as it gets here for a clean, small wave session. Don’t bother with Saturday afternoon, the wind swings onshore and it gets messy.

Sunday, 16th August, holds clean again with the morning bumping to 3 ft, and the energy is climbing (656). The wind is still a light cross-off. This is decent. The real standout, though, is Monday, 17th August. The swell jumps to 5 ft from the SSW, period holding at 16 seconds, and the energy is pumping (1411). On top of that, the morning is clean offshore, and the afternoon goes glassy. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers, but at 5 ft, it’s a bit much for beginners on this reef. The angle is right for the spot, too.

Then we hit a bit of a lull. Tuesday, 18th August, sees the swell size up to 7 ft, but the wind turns nasty, blowing 16 mph cross-shore, making it choppy and tough. The energy is high (2464), but the quality is off. Wednesday and Thursday are similar – still big, windy, and marginal. Friday, 21st August, is a return to form. The morning is 6 ft, clean, with a light breeze, and the energy is strong (1857). The afternoon goes glassy again. This is another excellent window for experienced surfers.

After that, the swell drops off. Saturday, 22nd August, is still a fun 4 ft, clean, but the wind gets a bit tricky. Sunday, 23rd August, is glassy in the morning with a weak 4 ft from the east, but the period drops to just 7 seconds, so it’s a bit weak. The next week, from the 24th onwards, is a lot of small, inconsistent surf. There are some glassy mornings, like the 24th and 25th, with 2 ft, but the energy is low. It’s not really worth a paddle unless you’re desperate.

So, the clear standout is Monday, 17th August, with the glassy afternoon. The second best is Friday, 21st August. After that, get in early on Saturday, 15th, or Sunday, 16th, for the cleaner, smaller stuff.

Rusty.

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