Jetty Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get real here. I’ve looked over the next stretch of days, and I gotta be honest with you, mate—it’s a tough run. There’s surf on offer, but it’s small, and the conditions are fighting it the whole way. We’re looking at a solid 16-day window, but the first week and a half is pretty much a write-off for anything decent. The good news is there’s a couple of moments that could be worth a paddle, but you’ll need patience.

The first real chance to get wet comes later in the run. Let’s break it down.

Starting off, we’ve got Jetty as our only option. This spot is a breakwater, very consistent, but it’s exposed to the south-southeast, and the swell direction is almost always going to be on the small side for this forecast. The water is sitting at 75°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year—nothing crazy, just a little extra warmth in the water.

From Thursday the 20th of August all the way through to Tuesday the 1st of September, it’s a flat, frustrating stretch. The swell is tiny—mostly 1 ft to 3 ft—and the period is short, under 8 seconds in most cases. The wave energy is weak, often in the 20 to 90 range (combined energy of all swells directed here). The wind is all over the place: cross, cross-on, sometimes cross-off, but never truly favourable. The surf is consistently described as “poor surf conditions” with scores of 0. There’s a gap of nearly 12 days where you’re better off doing something else.

Now, the first glimmer of hope arrives on Saturday the 29th of August. The morning shows a clean 2 ft south swell with a 8-second period, and the wind is cross-off from the northeast at 12 mph. The wave energy climbs to 146 (moderate), which is the best we’ve seen so far. This is a small but clean option. The afternoon gets a bit messier with cross-on wind, so the morning is your window.

Then, on Tuesday the 1st of September, we get a little more life. The afternoon brings a 2 ft south-southeast swell with a 10-second period, and the wind is light cross-off from the northeast at 6 mph. The combined energy is 112 (moderate). The report says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” which is about as good as it gets in this run. It’s small, but it’s clean-ish.

Wednesday the 2nd of September morning is the real standout. We’ve got 2 ft of south-southeast swell, 10-second period, and the wind is dead calm—glassy. The wave energy is 67 (weak), but glassy conditions on a small day can make for a fun, user-friendly session. The water is still that touch warmer. It’s small, but it’s the best wave quality of the whole outlook.

After that, the wind picks up again. Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th of September have fresh offshore winds from the northwest, but the swell is tiny—1 ft to 3 ft—and the period is short. The energy is weak to moderate, but the wind is so strong (19 to 25 mph) that it’ll be hard to paddle into anything. The report says “strong offshore and clean but hard to paddle into,” which is the truth. It’s more of a windsurf or kite day than a paddle surf day.

So, for the whole 16 days, the best call is Wednesday the 2nd of September morning at Jetty. It’s small, but you’ll have glassy conditions and a clean little wave. If you want a bit more push, Saturday the 29th of August morning is your next best bet, with clean cross-off wind and a touch more energy. But don’t expect anything overhead—this is a small-wave session, and you’ll be on a grovel board.

Crowds at Jetty can happen sometimes, so if you’re there on the good days, expect a few others with the same idea.

Rusty.

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