Lake Ferry Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Lookin’ at the next 16 days for Lake Ferry, and truth be told, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. The first week is pretty quiet with only small, ordinary waves, but then things get wild – almost too wild. The standout is the morning of Sunday the 16th of August, but we’ll get to that.

The run starts on Saturday morning, the 8th of August. A 5ft southerly swell rolls in, with a period of 11 seconds. The wind is a cross-off from the NNW at 12 mph, so it’s clean, but the wave comment says it’s marginal, and the energy is moderate at 488. Not one to get excited about.

Sunday the 9th of August morning is a better bet. The swell drops to 3ft from the south, period 10 seconds. The wind swings to a light offshore from the NNE at 9 mph, making for clean lines. The energy is still moderate (329), and the forecast says “expect good surf conditions.” This is the pick of the early days – small but clean.

Monday the 10th and Tuesday the 11th see the swell drop further, with poor conditions and onshore or glassy winds. The wave sizes are under 3ft, and the energy is weak. There’s a brief window on Tuesday morning, the 11th, with a 4ft swell from the SSW and glassy conditions, but the period is a short 7 seconds, so it’s a bit lumpy. The energy is moderate (288).

From Wednesday the 12th of August through to Friday the 14th of August, the surf is tiny – under 2ft – with weak energy. It’s a flat spell, so don’t bother paddling out.

Now, the second week is a different story. Saturday the 15th of August morning sees a massive 12ft swell from the SSW, with a period of 8 seconds. The energy is very strong (1594). But here’s the thing: the wind is onshore from the SW at 9 mph, and the wave comment says the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. This is a sandbar setup, and with that much power, it’s going to be a washing machine. I’d call this more of a kite-surfing show than a paddle session.

The standout is Sunday the 16th of August morning. We’ve got a 12ft swell from the SSW, period 9 seconds, and the energy is through the roof at 2297. The wind is glassy – a light northerly at 3 mph. That’s about as clean as it gets for a big swell. The wave comment says wind and tide are favorable, but it’s still too big for this break. For experienced surfers who know Lake Ferry, this could be a wild, memorable session. The water temperature is a bit colder than normal at 52°, so you’ll want a good wetsuit.

Monday the 17th of August keeps the energy pumping with a 16ft swell from the SSW (period 11 seconds) and energy at 5657. That’s huge, but the wind is a cross-on from the WSW, making it rough. Tuesday the 18th of August stays big with 12ft swells, but the wind is onshore. The wave comment keeps saying the swell is too big for this break.

Things start to settle by Wednesday the 19th of August morning, with a 7ft swell from the south, period 11 seconds. The energy is still strong (1130), and the wind is a light cross-on from the SSE. It’s marginal, but maybe workable for the brave.

The last few days of the forecast, from Friday the 21st of August, see the swell dropping back to 5ft and under, with weak to moderate energy. The wind is mostly cross-on or glassy, but nothing special. Sunday the 23rd of August morning has a 5ft swell from the south, period 8 seconds, and glassy conditions – a clean, small end to the run.

Overall, if you’re a seasoned local, the Sunday the 16th of August morning is the one to circle. It’s big, it’s clean, and it’s a proper challenge. The rest of the window is either tiny or too big and messy. Stay safe out there.

Rusty.

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