Lido West Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a long hard look at what’s coming down the line at Lido West. I gotta be straight with you – this is going to be a tough run. We’ve got a huge block of poor surf stretching across most of the next two weeks, with only a tiny flicker of hope towards the middle.

For the next seven or eight days, it’s pretty much a write-off. From Monday the 10th right through to Saturday the 16th, the swell is tiny, mostly between 1ft and 3ft, and from the S or SSE with a short, weak period. The combined wave energy barely gets into double digits most of the time, staying under a hundred – we’re talking weak energy here. The wind is a constant problem, blowing onshore or cross-onshore from the S, SW, or SSE, keeping the surface chopped up and messy. Even when we get a little window of clean conditions, like a light offshore on Saturday morning the 15th, the swell is just too small and weak to do anything with. It’s a long, frustrating stretch of flat-to-manky conditions.

Then we get to Monday the 17th of August. There’s a spike. The morning shows a jump in swell to 6ft from the SSW, with a period of 7 seconds. The combined energy rockets up to a solid 513 – that’s moderate wave energy. The wind is a clean cross-offshore from the NW. Now, 6ft is getting a bit too much for beginners, but for everyone else, it’s the best shot we get. The issue is the period is short, under 8 seconds, which means the waves will be a bit choppy and lack that real groundswell power. It’s a marginal call, with some tide or condition issues flagged, but it’s the closest thing to a legit session we see.

After that, it’s back to the doldrums. Tuesday the 18th drops back to 2ft of weak, short-period swell, and by the end of the week, we’re looking at more onshore wind and small, weak surf heading into the 24th and 25th. There’s nothing else that even gets close to a standout. The water temperature is running much warmer than normal for this time of year at 78°, but honestly, you’ll be spending more time on the beach than in the water.

So, the only window worth circling on your calendar is the morning of Monday the 17th. It’s not perfect, but it’s our best and only real chance for a surfable wave in a sea of nothing. Don’t hold your breath on the long-range stuff; it looks bleak.

Rusty.

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