Irmas/Leftpoint Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for the only spot on the cards: Irmas/Leftpoint.

Honestly, mate, it’s a bit of a tough stretch ahead. The forecast is showing a solid 16-day run, but the first week and a half are looking pretty average. You’ve got persistent cross to cross-onshore winds from the ENE at 18 to 19 mph, which is keepin’ the surface all lumpy and choppy – not the clean lines we’re after. The swell is mostly short-period windswell around 6 to 8 seconds, so not a lot of grunt or shape. The combined energy readings hover between 104 and 678, which is weak to moderate energy, and the scores reflect that – just poor surf conditions through the end of August. There’s a gap of solid poor surf until we get a sniff of something better.

The real standout, the only one worth gettin’ excited about, shows up right at the end of the forecast. We’re talkin’ about Friday the 28th of August through Saturday the 29th of August. That’s when a proper groundswell pushes in from the ENE with a period bumpin’ up to 11 seconds. Swell size climbs to around 12 ft, so this is expert territory only – too big for beginners by a long shot. The combined energy rockets up to between 2687 and 3069, which is strong, and while the wind is still cross-shore from the ENE at 15-19 mph, it’s a moderate breeze, better than the fresh stuff we saw earlier. Be aware, this is a long-period groundswell and it’s coming from the ENE, which is not the optimum ESE direction for this reef break – it might not line up perfectly, so don’t expect perfection. But for size and power, it’s the best on offer.

The rest of the period after that drops back off quick. By Sunday the 30th of August, the swell collapses to 2 ft from the SSW with a long 16-second period, but the wind’s back up to a fresh 22 mph cross-shore, so it’s unsurfable. Monday the 31st and Tuesday the 1st of September bring some size back, but with a rating of 1 out of 10 and poor to marginal conditions, it’s not worth gettin’ the boards out.

So, to sum it up: a long stretch of crud, then a brief window of big, raw power for the experienced crew on the 28th-29th, but even then, it’s a gamble with the wind direction. Keep an eye on that Friday swell – it’s the only real chance for a session.

Rusty.

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