Hope Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty, and here’s the outlook for Hope Beach in feet and miles per hour.

Right now, we’re in a flat spell. The first surf that’s worth a paddle shows up Friday morning, August 7th. The water temp is 52°, which is about a degree cooler than normal for this time of year—nothing extreme, just a bit nippy.

Friday morning brings a clean 3ft SSW groundswell with a very long period of 16 seconds, and the wind is a light offshore breeze from the NNW at 9 mph. That’s a sweet combo—clean, lined-up waves. The combined energy is moderate (472). This is a standout window, but remember Hope Beach is inconsistent, so you’ll have to wait between sets. The long period means smooth faces and easier paddling. Crowds are possible.

Friday afternoon gets even better. The swell drops to 2ft, but the period jumps to 19 seconds—very long groundswell—and the wind goes glassy, dead calm. Combined energy is strong (531). That’s as good as it gets for small waves. The SSW direction isn’t the optimum S, but the conditions make up for it.

Saturday morning, August 8th, keeps it going with a 3ft SSW swell, 16-second period, and a gentle offshore breeze from the north at 9 mph. Combined energy is moderate (408). Saturday afternoon stays clean with a light cross-offshore breeze and 3ft waves.

Sunday, the 9th, is a bust—tiny 1.0ft bump with a 18-second period, messy wind. Combined energy is weak (119). Not worth it.

Now, Monday morning, August 10th, is a real standout. The swell jumps to 3ft from the SSW with a 17-second period, light offshore wind from the west at 6 mph, and the combined energy is strong (792). The forecast says very good surf conditions. This is the best of the run—clean, punchy, long-period lines. But Monday afternoon turns nasty: a 7ft SW swell with a 17-second period, but a strong cross-shore wind at 25 mph makes it a messy cross-chop. That’s kite territory, not paddle.

Tuesday morning, the 11th, is back to clean 3ft SSW groundswell with a 14-second period, light offshore winds. Combined energy is moderate (451). Good, but not the standout.

Wednesday, the 12th, is tricky. The morning has a 4ft SSW swell with an 18-second period, but the wind is a moderate cross-offshore at 16 mph, and the combined energy is strong (1139). The afternoon bumps to 5ft with a 19-second period, but the wind goes light cross-shore. Conditions are called marginal. Surfable, but watch the tide.

Thursday, the 13th, and Friday, the 14th, are blown out by cross-shore winds. Friday morning has a 6ft SW swell (combined energy 1837), but the wind is cross-offshore and moderate. The afternoon gets a 8ft SSW swell—big, strong energy (3336)—but the cross-shore wind at 16 mph makes it a mess. Expert-only, and even then, not great.

The weekend of the 15th and 16th is poor. Saturday has onshore winds and choppy 6ft to 6ft surf. Sunday morning, the 16th, shows a glimmer: 2ft S swell with a 17-second period, light offshore wind from the NW at 6 mph, combined energy moderate (525). Clean, but small.

Then there’s a long gap. From Sunday afternoon, the 16th, through to Thursday, the 20th, the surf is tiny—between 1ft and 3ft—with occasional glassy conditions but very ordinary waves.

Friday morning, August 21st, brings a last pulse: 2ft SSW swell, 16-second period, moderate offshore wind from the north at 12 mph, combined energy moderate (278). Clean, but small and inconsistent.

The standout windows are Friday morning and afternoon, the 7th, and Monday morning, the 10th. The Wednesday, 12th afternoon is worth a look for bigger, longer-period swell, but the wind is a factor. Everything else is either tiny or blown out.

Rusty.

Read more