Kawana Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – this outlook for Kawana Beach is a tough one to write. We’ve got a long 16-day window ahead, but the first week and a half is pretty much a write-off for any decent paddle surfing. There’s a real gap here from Wednesday the 29th of July right through to the tail end of the second week, so don’t hold your breath.

The surf is just not cooperating. Most days are plagued by poor surf conditions – choppy, messy, with onshore or cross-onshore winds. The energy is weak, with combined swell energy only hitting two-digit figures like 36 (Wednesday morning) or 65 (Thursday morning), and even when it climbs a bit, the quality just isn’t there. Winds are mostly moderate breezes from the south or southeast, and the swell is small – often under 3ft – with short periods around 6 or 7 seconds, meaning weak, crumbly waves.

There is a tiny glimpse of hope early on. On Tuesday morning, the 4th of August, we might get a glassy morning with the wind swinging light from the SSW. The swell will be a measly 3ft from the east with a 7-second period, and the combined energy is only 113 – so it’s not exactly firing. The wave comment says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” so you could get a longboard out for a limp cruise if you’re desperate, but it’s nothing to write home about. Crowds are listed as “sometimes,” so you might have company for these tiny dribblers.

The standout, if you can call it that, comes way out in the forecast. On Thursday the 13th of August, things finally look promising. The morning session sees a clean, glassy setup with a light cross-offshore wind from the NNW. The swell picks up to 4ft from the southeast with a solid 12-second period – that’s a proper groundswell with some punch. The combined energy jumps to 337, so there’s moderate wave energy behind it. This is the best on offer for the entire period. There is a caveat, though: a long period swell like this (over 11 seconds) can break a bit straight at a beach break like Kawana, but the clean conditions should still make for some fun, lined-up waves. The afternoon gets a bit messy with a wind shift and the swell building to 5ft with a moderate cross-shore chop (609 combined energy), but the morning is the pick.

Overall, the consistency is “fairly consistent” here, so it’s not a dead zone, but this stretch is a tough one. Just about every day is “poor surf conditions” until that last Thursday. If you are a beginner, the biggest drop of the period is that 5ft afternoon on the 13th – too big for you. Stick to the tiny glassy mornings if you’re learning.

Water temp is about 68°F on that first Wednesday, which is a bit colder than normal for the time of year.

Stay patient, mates. That Thursday the 13th of August morning is your one shot.

Rusty.

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