L Jetty Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ve been staring at the charts for L Jetty, and I gotta be straight – it’s a lean run. We’ve got a 16-day window, and there’s nothing that’s gonna get the stoke levels pumping. The first proper surfable wave doesn’t even show up until Monday the 24th of August, so you’re looking at a solid gap of over a week with nothing worth paddling out for.

The whole pattern is dominated by tiny, weak swell. For most of this period, we’re dealing with knee-high dribble at best – 1ft to 2ft – with short, weak periods around 6 to 9 seconds. The combined energy is puny, often sitting below 50 (weak energy), which tells you there’s just no grunt in the water. Winds are mostly cross or cross-onshore, adding chop to an already flat situation. It’s a tough stretch.

Now, the first real glimmer comes on Monday the 24th of August. Monday morning shows a tiny 0.7ft pulse, but it’s the afternoon that offers the only half-decent chance. The swell stays a mere 1ft, but it’s coming from the ESE with a long 12-second period – that’s proper groundswell, so there’ll be some shape and energy, even if it’s small. The wind goes glassy, WNW at 5 km/h, so it’ll be clean as a whistle. The combined energy reads 52 (weak), but that’s still the best it gets. It’s surfable, but very ordinary – a good spot for a longboard or a foiler to get a few soft ones.

Tuesday the 25th and Wednesday the 26th offer little better. Tuesday morning has a 1ft ESE swell at 11 seconds, with a light cross-off SSW breeze, so it’s clean again (32 energy). Wednesday morning sees a slight bump to 1ft, same direction, with a very long 15-second period – that’s a serious amount of time between sets. The combined energy jumps to 113 (moderate), which is the strongest we see, but for a beach/jetty setup, that long period can make waves break a bit straight. Still, with gentle cross-off winds, it’s the most promising day in the whole outlook.

Honestly, the standouts are few and far between. If you have to pick one, I’d say Wednesday the 26th morning at L Jetty. It’s the biggest energy we get, with a long-period groundswell and clean conditions. Just don’t expect much – it’s a baby swell.

The water temp is a notable 77°F – that’s a full 4° warmer than usual for this time of year, so it’s much warmer than normal. You won’t need a wetsuit, that’s for sure.

Crowds at L Jetty? With this little to work with, they’ll likely be sparse, but the spot can get busy (often crowded) when it’s good. This ain’t it.

So, there it is. A long, flat gap, then a couple of tiny windows. It’s a waiting game. Forecasts can change, so keep an eye out, but right now, don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

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