Hideaway Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what Hideaway has in store for us over the next couple of weeks.

This is a bit of a tricky one. We’ve got some serious energy coming through at times, but the wind is going to be a constant battle. For an advanced reef setup like this, we need clean conditions to really enjoy it, and unfortunately, for the first week or so, that’s just not on the cards. The water is sitting at 78°F which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The forecast kicks off on Wednesday, 5 August with a decent 5ft SSW swell carrying a long period of 17 seconds. That’s proper groundswell, and the combined energy is a massive 2267 (strong wave energy). Sounds great, right? Problem is, we’ve got a 12 mph cross-shore wind from the SE messing it up, creating a cross-chop. It’s a frustrating start.

Thursday, 6 August doesn’t get any better. The swell holds around 4-5ft, but the wind picks up to 16-19 mph, still cross-shore, and the conditions are described as lumpy. Not worth paddling out for.

Friday, 7 August sees the swell jump to 7ft from the SSE, but the period drops to 10-11 seconds and the wind is screaming at 22 mph. That’s a fresh, nasty cross-shore breeze. The energy is still high at 1433-1847, but it’s going to be a mess. This is more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle-out.

Saturday, 8 August has a mixed bag. The morning shows a 8ft ESE swell with a short 8-second period, but the wind turns cross-offshore at 19 mph and the conditions are clean. The energy is 1549 but that short period means it’ll be a bit walled-up and challenging. For the advanced crew, there might be a few, but it’s not a standout.

Sunday, 9 August morning is similar: 8ft from the ESE, 8-second period, clean with cross-off winds. The energy is 1246. It’s better than the previous days, but still not the quality we’re after.

Monday, 10 August through Wednesday, 12 August sees the swell drop right off. We’re looking at tiny waves – 2ft to 3ft – with clean conditions but just not enough size to do anything with.

Thursday, 13 August is flat with tiny 2ft swell.

We then hit a real gap. From Friday, 14 August through to Sunday, 16 August, the swell is weak and the wind is all over the place – cross-shore, cross-on, light rain. Nothing to get excited about.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The best window in the whole forecast is the morning of Thursday, 20 August. We’ve got a 5ft SSW swell with a 14-second period, combined energy of 1020 (moderate wave energy), and the wind goes light and variable. The morning has a light cross-off breeze from the NE at 6 mph, and the afternoon goes glassy. The forecast actually says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers” for the morning. That’s your standout. This is a reef break that rarely breaks, so when it lines up like this, you drop everything. The swell direction from the SSW is right on the optimum for this spot, and with glassy conditions, it’ll be as clean as it gets. Just remember, it’s over a week away, so keep an eye on it, but this is the one to aim for.

The Monday before that, 17 August, also has some size with 7ft SSW swell and 18-second period, massive energy of 3096, but the wind is cross-shore at 9 mph, which will leave a bit of a chop on the face. Still a decent option if you’re desperate, but the 20th is the real gem.

So, the long story short: there’s a lot of wind and chop through the first week and a half, but if you can wait, the 20th of August is the day. Hideaway is rarely on, so a window like that is special.

Rusty.

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