Jacobs Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's dig into what Jacobs Bay has cooking for the next couple of weeks. There's a fair bit of pulse in the water coming down the line, but it's not all gonna be a picnic. The water temp is running about normal for this time of year, nothing too unusual.

The first real chance to get the sticks wet is Wednesday morning, August 26th. We've got a solid 6ft swell from the WSW with a long 13-second period. The combined energy is strong at 1326, so there's some real grunt in the water. The best bit? The wind is dead glassy out of the ESE at just 3 mph. That's a huge bonus, the waves will be clean and lined up. This one's for the experienced crowd though, as it's big enough to get your attention. Beginners might find it a bit of a handful.

Thursday and Friday are a bit more average. Thursday morning has a smaller 5ft SSW swell with clean offshore wind from the WNW at 3 mph, but the energy drops to 840 (moderate). It's surfable, but nothing that’s gonna blow your hair back.

The weekend brings a bump in size. Saturday morning, August 29th has a 5ft WSW swell with 14-second period energy at 1026. The wind is cross-onshore from the SW at 9 mph though, so it'll be a bit lumpy on the face. Not the cleanest. Sunday morning the 30th improves a touch with clear skies and a cross-offshore breeze from the SSE at 12 mph, but the swell is still a solid 6ft (1171 energy). The cross-offshore wind will keep the faces tidy enough for a wave.

Then things get wild. Tuesday, September 1st the swell hammers the coast. We're talking 10ft on Tuesday morning, building to 13ft on Tuesday afternoon, with energy readings of 3009 and 5571 – that's insanely strong. The wind is light onshore or cross, so the quality will be rough and choppy. This is strictly for the big-wave chargers on gun boards. Wednesday the 2nd stays massive at 12ft and 10ft with strong cross-winds. Unless you've got a death wish, stay out of the water. With that much swell and the wind, it's really looking more like a kiteboarding show than a paddle surf session.

After that big pulse, Thursday morning, September 3rd backs down to a more manageable 6ft from the WSW (1120 energy) with a clean cross-offshore wind from the SSE at 9 mph. That's a solid, surfable morning.

The real standout of the entire outlook, the one that has me buzzing, is Friday morning, September 4th. We've got a solid 7ft from the west (1716 energy) with a 12-second period, and the wind is… you guessed it… glassy. Dead calm out of the SE at 3 mph. The wave info says "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers," and I absolutely agree. This will be the pick of the window for anyone who can handle overhead waves. The size puts it in the experienced-only zone, but if the conditions hold, it’ll be a dreamy session.

After the 4th, the energy fades. Saturday morning the 5th has a small 5ft S swell with a short 7-second period (443 energy). Glassy wind again, but the swell is weak and short-period, so the waves will be a bit gutless and crumbly at the beach break. From Sunday the 6th through the end of the window, the surf goes quiet. We're looking at weak, short-period swells and a lot of onshore or strong cross-winds. The final week is a bust for quality waves. The 8th and 9th of September have some tiny 4ft to 4ft groundswell from the WSW with clean winds, but it’s really small and weak.

So, to wrap it up: the best surf on offer is Friday morning, September 4th. Mark it on the calendar if you can handle a solid 7ft west swell with glassy conditions. The Wednesday morning on the 26th is your early runner-up. The rest is either too big and messy, or too small and weak to get jazzed about.

Rusty.

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