Leffingwell Landing Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here. Let's be straight with you: the next couple of weeks at Leffingwell Landing are shaping up to be pretty ordinary. This is a reef break for advanced surfers only, and it's very consistent, but the conditions are just not playing ball for most of the run. We've got a constant cross-onshore wind messing things up, and while there's some decent energy in the water, it's almost always choppy and poor.

The water's sitting at 16°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year – you'll want a good suit.

The first few days, from Friday the 28th of August through Sunday the 30th, are a write-off. The swell is small, around 3 ft to 4 ft from the SSW, but the wind is a steady 12 to 16 mph cross-onshore. The wave energy is moderate to strong, hitting between 666 and 1138, but it's all messy and choppy. Not worth paddling out for. There's a long-period groundswell here, with periods of 15 to 19 seconds, which at a reef could shape up nicely, but the wind is just ruining it.

Moving into Monday the 31st of August and Tuesday, the wind switches to onshore and lightens up a bit, 6 to 9 mph. The swell drops to 2 ft to 3 ft, and the energy drops way down to between 186 and 645. It's marginal at best. Still not a recommendation.

Wednesday the 2nd of September has a tiny 2 ft SSW swell with a period of 16 seconds, but the cross-onshore wind is back. The energy is a weak 137. Thursday the 3rd has a 1 ft swell with a very long 20-second period, but with light onshore wind. It's just too small.

Now, here's the one and only standout in the whole outlook – and it's a long way off. Friday the 4th of September is your best bet. Early morning has a 3 ft SSW swell, a 17-second period, and light onshore wind at 6 mph. The combined energy is strong at 1009. It is still only a marginal forecast, but it's the highest score on the board. This long-period groundswell at a reef break could produce some clean, lined-up waves, even if small. The onshore wind will keep it a bit bumpy, but it's the best we've got.

After that, from the 5th of September right through to the 12th, it's the same old story: small swell, mostly cross-onshore wind, and consistently poor surf conditions. There's a bit of a spike on Wednesday the 9th with a 6 ft WNW swell, but the period is only 7 seconds – that's short-period windswell, not groundswell – and it's with a strong 16 mph cross-onshore wind. That's just a choppy mess, probably more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

So, to wrap it up: keep your expectations low. Friday the 4th of September morning is the only window that looks even slightly promising. Otherwise, it's a lean couple of weeks at Leffingwell Landing.

Rusty.

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