Jailbreaks Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

The forecast is pretty quiet to start, but we’ve got a solid run of surf building from August 9th, and it really gets interesting by the middle of the second week. There's a bit of a lull after the 14th, but the real standout action kicks off around the 18th.

Kicking off Sunday August 9 th at Jailbreaks. We’re looking at a clean 5 ft SSE swell, period around 10 seconds . Wind is a gentle cross - offshore breeze ,keeping things tidy .The combined swell energy is moderate ( 589 ),so there’s some push but nothing too crazy .It’s a fairly consistent reef break ,and it’s exposed to the south ,which is a good thing here .Expect crowds sometimes – it’s a known spot .The water temp feels about average for this time of year .

This pattern holds through Monday and Tuesday morning ,with the swell holding around 4 .6 ft and the wind staying in that gentle cross - off zone .The energy picks up a touch Monday morning ( 677 ).Tuesday afternoon sees a risk of thunderstorms and the wind goes cross -shore ,making it a bit choppy ,so the quality drops off .

Wednesday the 12th through to Friday the 14th mornings are still decent ,with clean 4 .3-4 .6 ft SSE swell and that gentle offshore wind .The energy stays moderate .The afternoons get a bit marginal on the tide ,and by Friday afternoon the wind picks up to 15 .5 mph ,creating a moderate cross -chop ,so the surf goes poor .This poor ,choppy condition carries into the weekend (15 th and 16 th of August ),with the swell dropping to 3 .9 ft and the wind staying brisk .It’s a bit of a flat ,messy period – a couple of days where you might be better off doing something else .

Now ,here’s where it gets interesting .From Monday the 17 th ,the energy starts ramping up .Monday afternoon sees a 3 .9 ft S swell with a very long period of 20 seconds and strong energy ( 1402 ).The wind is still a moderate cross -off ,so it’s clean ,but that long period is going to make it a bit tricky at a beach break – it’ll want to stand up fast .Still ,it’s building .

The real standout is Tuesday August 18 th . This is the one to circle .The morning sees 6 .6 ft SSW groundswell with a period of 18 seconds and very strong energy ( 2547 ).By the afternoon ,it’s still 6 .6 ft from the SSW ,period 18 seconds ,and the wind goes light cross - offshore .The conditions are described as excellent for experienced surfers ,and I agree – this is a serious swell .At over 8 .2 ft ? No ,it’s 6 .6 ft ,so it’s a big ,powerful wave for advanced surfers only .That long period will make for some proper ,lined - up waves at this reef ,with long lulls between sets .The combined energy is massive (2504 ).This is the best on offer ,no question .

Wednesday the 19 th is still excellent .The swell drops back to 3 .9 ft but the period is still a long 16 seconds from the SW ,with light winds .The energy is still strong ( 1592 ).Perfect conditions for experienced surfers to get some great ,clean waves .

Thursday the 20 th and Friday the 21 st are still very good ,with clean 3 .3 - 3 .9 ft S/SSW swell and light offshore winds .The energy starts to taper off ,but it’s still fun ,clean surf .

The final weekend ,the 22 nd and 23 rd of August ,sees the swell dropping to a smaller ,shorter - period 3 .6 ft S swell ,and the wind picks up again .It’s marginal ,with moderate energy .The run of good surf is over by then .

So ,for the best surf ,lock in Tuesday August 18 th at Jailbreaks – that’s the big one .Wednesday the 19 th is a very close second .Get on it .

Rusty .

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