Irmas/Leftpoint Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – this forecast is a tough one to love. We’ve got a solid 16-day window ahead, but right from the start, there’s a dry spell. The first surf worth talking about doesn’t show up until Friday afternoon, August 7th, and even then, it’s not exactly a barnstormer. After that, there’s a long stretch of nothing worth paddling for until we get into the second week.

Alright, let’s get into it. The only spot on the radar is Irmas/Leftpoint. It’s a reef break, fairly consistent, and it loves an ESE swell. The water’s sitting at 80°F which is pretty much what you’d expect for this time of year – nothing unusual there.

Friday afternoon, August 7th, we see a tiny 1ft swell from the SSW with a 14-second period. That’s a long-period groundswell, which sounds good on paper, but the energy is weak (158). The cross-shore wind is howling at 19 mph, and the wave comment says “poor surf conditions.” Honestly, it’s not worth a paddle. That’s a pass.

Then we hit a gap. From Saturday, August 8th, all the way through to Wednesday, August 12th, we’ve got swell heights building from 5ft up to 8ft, mostly from the ENE with periods between 6 and 8 seconds. The wind is cross-shore and fresh, 19 to 28 mph, making for lumpy, choppy mess. The energy is moderate to strong (288 to 1131), but the surf quality is consistently rated “poor.” These are not waves you want to be out in – it’s a full-on battle with the wind.

Now, Thursday, August 13th, things get a bit bigger. We’ve got a 4ft swell from the S with a 16-second period in the morning, and energy hitting 1122. That’s a strong, long-period groundswell, and it’s perfect for a reef like Irmas/Leftpoint. But here’s the kicker – the wind is a strong breeze, 25 mph, cross-shore, and the conditions are “messy cross-chop.” The afternoon eases a bit to 4ft, but the same wind problem. It’s frustrating, because the swell is there, but the wind is ruining it.

The real standout – and I mean the only one that gets my blood pumping – is the stretch from Friday, August 14th, through to Monday, August 17th. We’re looking at a serious pulse of ENE swell: 8ft on Friday morning, building to 10ft on Saturday, and peaking at 13ft on Monday morning, August 17th. The period hangs around 8 to 9 seconds, so it’s short-period, windswell stuff. The energy is massive – 1359 on Saturday morning, 2274 on Sunday afternoon, and a whopping 2638 on Monday morning. That’s strong to very strong wave energy.

But – and it’s a big but – the wind is cross-shore all the way, blowing 22 to 31 mph. On Saturday, August 15th, it’s a near gale in the morning (31 mph) with crossing waves. This is not a paddler’s paradise. With that much swell, those short periods, and the messy wind, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. The waves are going to be lumpy, choppy, and hard to manage. Experienced surfers could handle the size, but the quality is just not there.

After Monday, August 17th, the swell drops off quickly. Tuesday, August 18th, sees 6ft from the ENE, but the wind is still cross-shore at 16 mph. The energy drops to 989 in the morning, and the conditions are “moderate cross-shore with a cross-chop.” It’s still poor. By Wednesday, August 19th, we’re down to 4ft, and the wind turns cross-onshore, which is even worse for this spot. The last few days, from August 20th to 22nd, are tiny – 2ft to 3ft – with some long-period SSW groundswell, but again, the wind is a problem.

So, what’s the best on offer? It’s the peak of the swell from August 14th to 17th. The size is there, and the energy is undeniable. But the wind is a deal-breaker for clean, quality surf. If you’re an expert with a big board and a tolerance for chop, you might get some powerful, messy waves. For everyone else, it’s a week to sit on the beach and watch the chaos. The forecast is consistent with the conditions, but the quality just isn’t there.

Rusty.

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