Indicators Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s cut through the noise and look at the week ahead. The models are showing a pretty average run for the Indicators (point break) over the next 16 days. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there. The general vibe is small, onshore, and not much to get excited about. We’re looking at a long stretch of poor to marginal conditions. There is a real gap in quality from now until the middle of next week, so don’t be in a rush to paddle out.

The run starts off pretty grim. Friday the 14th has tiny 2ft SSW swell, but it’s got a cross-on wind and it’s just messy. The energy is weak at 379. It’s a write-off. Saturday and Sunday the 15th and 16th see the swell nudge up to 3ft, but the onshore wind ruins any chance of clean waves. It’s all poor to marginal. Monday the 17th is much the same, still onshore and weak. We’re just waiting for that wind to swing around.

Now, here’s the first real glimmer of hope. Tuesday morning, the 18th of August. The wind drops right out to glassy, and we’ve got a clean 3ft SSW swell with a period of 15 seconds. The energy reads a moderate 660, which is the best we’ve seen. This is the standout for the first week. The Indicators will be breaking clean and lined up. It’s not big, but it’ll be the best you’ll get for a while. I’d be on it first light.

After that, the wind goes onshore again for the rest of the week, and things get messy. Wednesday the 19th sees a short-period 5ft bump from the NW, but it’s onshore and junky. The energy is high, 870, but with an 8-second period, it’s not going to be any good for a point break like this. It’s more of a bump than a swell. The rest of that week is a write-off, with small, poor surf and cross-onshore winds. Friday afternoon the 21st is particularly ugly.

The following week, from the 22nd through the 27th, is poor. The swell direction swings around to the WNW and NW with short periods from 7 to 8 seconds. The waves are going to be lumpy and soft. The energy readings are all over the place, from moderate to strong, but the short period means none of it will translate to any quality. The winds are mostly onshore or cross-onshore. It’s a real dead zone. Saturday the 22nd and Monday the 24th have 5ft to 6ft of swell, but it’s just not going to work here. This setup looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer.

Things start to trend slightly better towards the end of the run. There’s a new SSW swell on the horizon for Friday the 28th and Saturday the 29th. Friday morning shows 3ft of SSW swell with a 17-second period and a light cross-onshore wind. The energy is a moderate 414. It’s a step in the right direction, but still not a green light. Then Saturday morning the 29th shows 3ft of SSW swell at 16 seconds. The wind is onshore but light. It’s a marginal signal at best. It’s promising, but the long-range stuff is less certain. We’ll have to see how it shapes up.

So, the bottom line is: if you want a surf, the only real window is Tuesday morning the 18th. Everything else is a slog. The long period of the 29th is a cool prospect, but don’t hold your breath.

Stay salty.

Rusty

Read more