Iluka-North Wall Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. We’ve got a 16-day window for Iluka-North Wall, and I’m looking at a pretty drawn-out, quiet run here. The honest truth is there’s a big gap of nothing special for the first few days, so don’t be in a rush.

The first real chance to wet a line comes on Monday morning, 24 August. It’s not going to be epic, but after a few days of poor, choppy stuff, that glassy morning with the wind swinging to zero and the water going flat calm is a welcome relief. Swell is tiny, only about 2 ft from the south, but the energy is moderate (124) and the period is a short 8 seconds. It’s the kind of morning where you just get out for a paddle and a few little rights if you’re a beginner. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Tuesday morning, 25 August, is worth a mention. A clean, light offshore breeze from the NNW with a clean surface. The swell is still small at 3 ft from the ENE, period a short 7 seconds, and the energy is moderate (141). It’s still very ordinary, but it’s rideable and the lack of wind makes it the best of a quiet week.

Then we hit a long, dry spell. From Wednesday through to Saturday, the wind is onshore or cross-shore, and it’s choppy. There’s nothing to get excited about. The combined energy sits around the 100-200 range, pretty weak.

Now, hang on to your boards because Monday, 31 August is the standout of the whole outlook. It’s a week away, so it’s still a bit of a long-range promise, but the data says it’s as good as it gets. The morning is clean with a light cross-off breeze from the SSW. The swell is a solid 5 ft from the SSE. The energy is strong (594), and the period is a short 8 seconds, so it’s a short-period wind swell, but it’s got some grunt. This is more of an intermediate to advanced day, as that 5 ft at the North Wall can get a bit lumpy. Expect crowds to be possible here, as it’s a known spot.

Tuesday morning, 1 September, is also decent. Clean with a light offshore from the NNW. The swell is a smaller 2 ft from the SSE, but the period jumps to a very long 16 seconds (groundswell). The energy is strong (405). That long period means the waves will be clean and have good shape, but it might break a bit straight at the beach. A point break or reef would prefer this, but it’s still a great morning for a wave.

After that, we get a few more clean mornings. Wednesday, 2 September, has a small 2 ft from the ENE with a perfect offshore wind from the west. Clean, tiny waves. Saturday, 5 September morning is glassy with a 2 ft from the SSE, period a very long 14 seconds, and strong energy (273). Again, a long period groundswell, so it’s cleaner than the local wind swell.

Overall, the pick of the bunch is Monday morning, 31 August for the best combination of size and clean conditions. For a glassy, smaller wave, Monday, 24 August is the early bird special. The second week is mostly small and clean, but nothing to write home about.

Rusty.

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