Indicator Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, grab a coffee, this is gonna be one of those outlooks. I'm Rusty, and I've been staring at this patch of water for a good long while. Let's be straight with you – the next sixteen days are going to test your patience. The surf is almost non-existent, and the wind is a constant battle. We're looking at a long stretch of small, weak, and messy conditions.

The first real chance we get is on Wednesday morning, 26th August. The swell is a tiny 2ft from the SW, but that's not the story. The real magic is the glass. The forecast says "glass" – absolutely no wind. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so it'll be a comfortable paddle. The combined wave energy is moderate (237), but with such a small wave, it's just a gentle push. The spot is a reef and point setup which is a bit of a break from the constant beach junk. It's fairly consistent and has a cross-off wind which cleans it right up. The swell direction (SW) is a bit off from the optimum (NW), but with that glassy surface, it's the only window of clean, rideable waves in the whole outlook. The swell period is 16 seconds, a nice long groundswell, which will give you a nice, drawn-out shape on the point. Crowds are said to be *sometimes* around, so you might get a few heads out there, but it's worth it for the cleanest conditions we'll see. For a beginner, the 2ft is fine, but the reef bottom might be a bit spooky.

After that, it's a dreary run right through the end of August and into September. The wind is a nightmare, mostly onshore or cross-onshore, smashing the tiny swell into chop. The combined energy is weak, mostly in the double digits, and the swell height is a pathetic 1.0ft to 2ft. There's a couple of mornings with a light breeze and a clean look, but the swell just isn't there. The gap between the 26th and the next serious pulse is a solid week.

Then, we get a glimmer of hope towards the end of the first week of September. On Wednesday morning, 2nd September, we get a clean look with 1ft of SW swell and a 16-second period. The wind is offshore from the SE, which is good for the break. The combined energy is moderate (114). Same break, same principles.

But the real standout, the one that looks like the best option of the entire run, comes on Thursday morning, 3rd September. The swell is only 2ft, but the wind is clean offshore from the SSE, and the combined energy jumps to a solid 200 (moderate). The period is 15 seconds, so you've got that long, proper groundswell energy. This is a solid, clean, offshore morning with a touch more punch than anything else. The break is a reef and point, it's fairly consistent, and the optimum direction is NW, but the SW swell with a clean offshore wind will still wrap in nicely. For a beginner, 2ft is small, but the reef is a concern. This is the one morning to circle on the calendar if you're keen for a proper paddle.

The rest of the run is a write-off. The wind is back onshore, the swell drops to nothing, and the energy is gone. If you're a kite surfer, the whole period is a write-off too, because the swell is too small to get a good gust. The outlook is bleak, but it tends not to stay this poor for long. Forecasts can change.

Rusty

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