Leffingwell Landing Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for our local patch, and I’m not gonna lie—it’s a tough stretch. The next 16 days are looking pretty bleak for a proper paddle, with a whole lot of flat spells and wonky conditions. There’s a real gap of almost nothing worth getting excited about for the first week, with only a few flickers of hope way out near the end of the month. If you’re desperate for a surf, you’ll have to be patient.

The only spot on the radar is Leffingwell Landing (reef). The water temp is sitting at 61.3°, which is about average for this time of year, so no weirdness there.

Let’s run through the weeks. From Wednesday the 19th of August right through to the middle of the following week, it’s grim. We’ve got tiny swell—mostly 1.3 ft to 3 ft—with a long period SSW groundswell, but the wind is onshore or cross-onshore from the WNW, junking it up. The combined wave energy is weak, sitting between 212 and 522 (moderate at best), but the surf quality is just poor. The wind is a constant problem, and the swell is too small and messy to get any rhythm. The Thursday and Friday of the first week are a write-off.

There’s a slight tease on the 21st of August Friday afternoon, with a short-period 5.2 ft WNW swell, but the period is only 6 seconds, and it’s cross-onshore and choppy. That’s more of a wind-slop session than anything you’d want to paddle out for. Honestly, it’s looking more like kite-surfing conditions than a clean surf.

The real change, and the only thing that gets my heart beating, comes right at the end of the month. On Friday the 28th of August, we see a jump in energy. The morning shows a 2.6 ft SSW swell with a very long 19-second period, and the combined energy rockets up to 897 (moderate). The wind is light and onshore from the W at 6 mph, which is borderline okay. The afternoon is similar, 3 ft from the SSW at 19 seconds with energy at 824. The catch? The forecast says “marginal” conditions with questionable tide, so it’s not a sure thing, but that long-period groundswell from the SSW is the best sign we’ve seen. Because it’s a reef, it’ll handle that long-period swell better than a beach break, so it might actually line up with some nice shape. The crowd factor is listed as “sometimes,” so you might have a few others with the same idea, but it’s not a circus.

The 29th of August Saturday morning keeps the energy high at 854, with a 3.6 ft SSW swell, 17-second period, but the wind turns cross-onshore again, making it a bit choppy. Still, it’s the standout window. The afternoon spikes to 3.9 ft and 982 energy, but the wind freshens. The 30th of August Sunday and 31st of August Monday see the energy drop off, and the wind gets stronger, with a fresh 19 mph cross-onshore on Sunday. That’s messy.

So, if I’m calling it, the best bet is Friday the 28th of August at Leffingwell Landing. The SSW swell is long-period, the reef will groom it, and the wind is light enough to give you a clean-ish window. It’s a promising window, but it’s a long way out, so keep an eye on it. The rest of the 16 days is a washout. Don’t expect much, but at least the water is comfortable.

Stay patient, and I’ll see you out there if it cleans up.

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