Hideaways Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s check out Hideaways over the next couple weeks.

Right off the bat, it’s pretty flat. From now through the end of August, the swell is tiny – maybe waist-high at best, and the wind ain’t helping. Thursday afternoon the 20th has 4ft of weak, short-period ENE swell at 7 seconds, but it’s cross-shore with a slight chop – just poor conditions, not worth paddling out. Friday the 21st is even worse, 3ft in the morning, then a weird little 2ft W swell in the afternoon that’s clean but way too small. Saturday the 22nd bumps up a bit to 3ft in the morning, then 4ft in the afternoon with a 13-second period – that’s some decent groundswell energy, but the wave comment calls it marginal, and the cross-off wind is light enough to keep it clean. Still, it’s small.

From Sunday the 23rd right through to Tuesday the 1st of September, we’re stuck in a rut. Mostly 3ft to 5ft of short-period E or ENE swell, clean conditions but the energy is moderate at best, and the scores are all 1 or 2 out of 10. Honestly, it’s a long, quiet stretch. There’s a brief tease on Friday the 28th – 3ft to 3ft but with a 15-second period, so long-period groundswell, still clean but small. Not enough to get excited about.

Now, the real action is lined up for the first few days of September. Tuesday the 1st of September is a standout: morning shows 10ft ENE swell at 11 seconds, afternoon jumps to 12ft at 10 seconds – that’s big, expert-only territory. The combined energy is sky-high – very strong. Winds are light cross-shore, just a little chop, but the wave comment still says marginal surf – risky tide maybe. Still, the size is there.

The true gem is Wednesday the 2nd of September. Morning: 8ft ENE at 9 seconds with a light cross-off breeze and clean conditions – “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers” is what the data says, and I trust that. Afternoon: 7ft ENE at 9 seconds, still cross-off and clean. That’s the pick of the window for anyone who can handle a solid reef break. The optimum swell direction for Hideaways is N, but ENE is close enough, and with that light offshore wind it’ll be glassy on the sets. Keep in mind Hideaways is a reef break, so long-period swell can make it pitchy – but here the period is 9 seconds, so it’s punchy and rideable. Crowds are “often” here, so expect company.

Water temp on the 20th is 80°, just 0.4° off average – about normal for this time of year.

After that, Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th drop off again to 5ft to 5ft ENE swell, clean but marginal – nothing special.

So, bottom line: the first week is a wash. There’s a big gap of no real surf from now until the 1st of September. The standout is Wednesday the 2nd of September at Hideaways – that’s the one to circle. It’s a promise, not a guarantee, but it looks good from here.

Rusty.

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