Lefthanders Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it. We’ve got one spot on the radar for the next 16 days, and it’s a real heavyweight, but it comes with a serious warning.

The overall pattern is all about one break: Lefthanders. This is a reef setup, and it’s a beginner-friendly wave. The water temp is sitting at 65° and it’s a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, which is a nice little bonus. But let’s be real – the main story here is the size. We’re looking at a massive swell event that’s way too big for the average punter, and it’s going to hang around for a long time.

The first real action starts on Sunday, August 30th. The morning has a clean 12 ft SW groundswell with a 17-second period – that’s a very long period, meaning heaps of energy and proper shape. The wind is a gentle cross-offshore from the NE, so it’ll be glassy. The combined energy is a massive 6471, which is moderate to strong. The problem? It’s already too big for this break. This is expert-only territory. Sunday afternoon sees the swell drop a touch to 10 ft from the WSW, period 16 seconds, but the wind swings to a light cross-on from the NW. Still a hefty 4844 of energy, but again, this is for the brave, not the beginners.

Monday, August 31st, is a write-off. The morning is a mess with a strong cross-on from the WNW at 16 mph, and the afternoon brings rain and a fresh cross-shore breeze. The swell is still 8 ft, but the conditions are poor. Forget it.

Tuesday, September 1st, is interesting but frustrating. The swell is back up to 10 ft from the WSW. The morning has a moderate cross-on, but the afternoon is where it gets cruel: a clean 10 ft SW swell with a 14-second period and a direct offshore wind from the W at 9 mph. The energy is still 3752. The wind is perfect, the tide is favorable, but it’s still too big. The same story repeats on Wednesday and Thursday – beautiful, clean, offshore winds with massive, powerful SW groundswells, but every session is flagged as being too big for this break. The energy readings are in the thousands, sometimes over 5000.

Then Friday, September 4th, is where we get into the truly dangerous stuff. Morning sees a 20 ft SW swell with a 14-second period and a strong cross-on from the SSW. The combined energy is a monstrous 18588. That’s not surfing; that’s survival. The afternoon is a bit less, at 18 ft, but still with 15427 energy. This is a full-on, life-threatening situation.

The rest of the first week and into the second is a rinse-and-repeat of the same problem. The swell stays in the 10 ft to 13 ft range, sometimes higher, with long periods of 14 to 16 seconds. There are pockets of clean, offshore wind – like Monday, September 7th, with a clear sky and a light 6 mph offshore from the W, perfect conditions for a 13 ft SW swell – but it’s just too much. You’d need a jet ski and a death wish.

The biggest standout in the whole period is probably the morning of Thursday, September 10th. Clear skies, a gentle cross-shore from the NNW, and a 15 ft WSW swell with a very long period of 18 seconds. The energy is 12593. That is a proper, world-class groundswell hitting a reef. The direction is good, the wind is okay, but the size is for elite experts only. This is a “promising but less certain” call for the second week, but it’s the closest we get to a perfect scenario if you could handle the power.

After that, it just keeps coming. Friday, September 11th, through to Sunday, September 14th, we’re still seeing nothing but 10 ft to 15 ft swell with messy or strong winds, and the occasional clean window that’s still too big. The final day, Monday, September 14th, has a 20 ft W swell with a cross-offshore wind, and then a 23 ft WSW swell in the afternoon. The energy is 9380 and then 15618. It’s closing out the period with a bang, but not a surfable one.

So, the honest truth? There are no good surf options for the average surfer in this 16-day window. The one break on offer, Lefthanders, is pumping with consistent, long-period groundswell, but it’s consistently over 8 ft and often over 12 ft. This is purely for a very small, very experienced crew. For everyone else, it’s a stay-at-home, watch-the-live-cams kind of week. The forecast can change, but right now, that’s the reality.

Rusty.

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