Kirra Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with ya – this 16-day stretch for Kirra is a real mixed bag, and mostly a frustrating one. We’ve got a long, quiet patch ahead before any real excitement shows up. The water temp’s sitting at about 68°, which is a touch cooler than usual for this time of year – nothing wild, but you’ll feel it.

We kick off on Monday the 17th with a pretty disappointing scene. The swell is a lumpy 7ft from the southeast, but with that 16 mph cross-off wind and an 8-second period, the energy’s all over the place. The combined swell energy is moderate at best (492). It’s just poor surf, plain and simple. That carries right through the week. Tuesday the 18th and Wednesday the 19th see the wave heights drop a little, but the wind stays cross-off and the conditions are ordinary. Wednesday morning the 19th has a touch more power (758 energy) and a longer 11-second period, making for surfable waves, but it’s still nothing to get excited about.

Then we hit a real dry spell. From Thursday the 20th of August all the way through to Saturday the 29th, it’s a wasteland. That’s ten days of tiny, weak surf with heights barely cracking 3ft and combined energy readings mostly in the low to mid 100s. The wind does go glassy or offshore a few times – like Thursday afternoon the 20th, Tuesday morning the 25th, and Wednesday morning the 26th – but the swell is so small and weak it’s barely worth paddling out for. One standout moment: Sunday morning the 23rd has clean 3ft waves with a gentle offshore breeze, but again, it’s just not enough push.

Now, here’s where things finally get interesting. On Sunday the 30th of August, we see a pulse of southerly swell arrive. The morning brings 4ft waves with an 11-second period, an offshore wind, and a solid energy reading of 554. It’s surfable but still ordinary. But the real show is Monday the 31st of August. The morning kicks off with a solid 8ft southeast swell and a clean offshore wind, already looking promising. By the afternoon, it jumps to a powerful 10ft from the southeast. The combined swell energy rockets up to 1104 – that’s strong, powerful stuff. The period is only 8 seconds, so it’s not the cleanest groundswell, but with that size and a moderate offshore breeze, Kirra’s famous point is going to be firing. This is big wave territory – definitely for experienced surfers only, as anything over 8ft is expert country. The optimum swell direction from the southeast matches perfectly with what Kirra loves. And look, being a point break, that longer-period energy would be a dream, but even with the shorter period, the sheer size and offshore wind will produce some pumping, hollow waves. Crowds are often an issue here, and on a day like this, you can bet the lineup will be packed.

After that, Tuesday the 1st of September still has some leftover energy – 6ft in the morning with offshore wind – but it drops off quickly in the afternoon. So, if you’re after the best of the best, circle Monday the 31st of August on your calendar. It’s the real standout. The rest of the window? A whole lot of waiting.

Stay frothing,
Rusty

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