Lakes Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, I'm Rusty, and I've just had a look at what's coming up for Lakes Beach over the next couple of weeks. Straight up, this is a stretch that's almost exclusively for the advanced crew; these waves break on a sandbar and it's exposed to the swell, so when it gets going, it's no joke. The water temp is sitting at about 64°F, which is pretty much normal for this time of year—nothing wild there.

For the first week or so, honestly, it's a bit of a struggle. Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning (the 4th and 5th of August) kick off with tiny, weak surf. Tuesday's got a 2ft south swell at 6 seconds, with a combined energy of only 39 – that's weak as dishwater. We're looking at poor conditions, cross-shore winds, just not worth paddling out for. Wednesday morning (5th August) offers a slightly better moment with a clean cross-offshore breeze from the west and a 1ft east swell at 10 seconds, but it's still very ordinary and only a "1" in terms of being surfable. Not getting excited yet.

Thursday morning (6th August) is the first decent glimmer. We've got glassy conditions with a westerly wind that's barely a breath, and a 2ft south swell at 9 seconds. The combined energy is 97, so it's still on the weaker side, but it's clean, and you might get a few knee-high runners that are just fun. That's the best of a very quiet start, but it's not a standout. The following days drift through Friday and Saturday with similar tiny swells (2ft to 2ft) and mostly ordinary wind directions; the moderate cross-onshore wind on Friday afternoon (7th August) and Saturday afternoon (8th August) chop things up.

We hit a bit of a dead zone from the 9th through to the 11th. The swell picks up a touch – up to 4ft on the Sunday (9th August) – but the winds are all wrong; a strong NE cross-onshore makes for choppy, difficult surf. Monday (10th August) has fresh offshore winds from the west at 30 km/h, but the 3ft east swell gets knocked around. The energy numbers climb into the 170s and 114, so there's more push, but the quality is just not there for a proper session.

Now, the real talk starts on Wednesday morning (12th August). We get a clean, gentle offshore from the WSW with a 2ft east swell at 10 seconds, and it's surfable but still very ordinary. That's the warm-up.

Then comes the standout of this entire outlook, and it's for the expert crew only. Thursday the 13th of August is where things get serious. Thursday morning (13th August) has a clean, cross-offshore breeze from the WNW and a solid 7ft south swell at 9 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 668 – that's moderate to strong – and it's clean. This is very good surf, and it's the best on offer, but it's not for everyone. By Thursday afternoon (13th August), the swell absolutely detonates: 8ft south swell with a combined energy of 1605 – that's strong to very strong wave energy. The wind shifts onshore, but the problem isn't the wind; the swell is predicted to be too big for Lakes Beach. This is a full-on, expert-only, hold-your-breath situation. Friday morning (14th August) is similar, with a glassy 8ft south swell at 11 seconds, and 1572 energy. These swells are massive for this break; the long period (11 seconds) means more power and longer lulls, but at this size, at a beach break, it's going to be a washing machine for most.

After the big swell passes, the surf settles down into something more manageable. Saturday the 15th of August brings a drop to a 4ft SE swell at 8 seconds with clean cross-offshore winds in the morning – combined energy is 410, which is moderate. That's a solid session for a competent surfer. Sunday the 16th and Monday the 17th of August both have mornings with glassy conditions and a consistent 4ft ESE swell at 8 seconds. The energy sits around 236-265, and it's clean. These mornings are the most accessible and likely the best bet for anyone who isn't an absolute pro. The afternoon winds are bad, so you've got to nail the early.

Looking into the very end of the forecast, we've got a promising but less certain window. Wednesday the 19th of August morning shows a clean but massive 8ft SE swell at 10 seconds, with a combined energy of 963 – that's strong. It's again at that too-big-for-this-break level for Lakes Beach. So, for the advanced surfer, the real highlight is Thursday the 13th and the glassy mornings on the 16th and 17th. But for everyone else? Stick to those clean, 4ft mornings from the 15th to the 17th; those are your best windows for a fun, manageable paddle out. Just remember, crowds are sometimes around here, so you might have some company on the sandbar.

Rusty.

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