Little Austi and Main Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, I'm Rusty, and I've got the local gen on Little Austi and Main Beach. This is a beach and reef setup that's fairly consistent and exposed to the swell, with the best direction being ENE. The water temp is sitting around 64°, which is pretty much spot on for this time of year.

The outlook is a bit of a slow burn, honestly. We've got a long stretch of small, weak surf ahead. The combined swell energy is barely kicking, with values like 92 (weak) on Thursday morning and dropping to as low as 5 (very weak) on Saturday afternoon. The first notable window is Thursday the 20th of August, with some surfable but very ordinary waves around 3 ft from the NE. A light NNW breeze keeps it clean, but the period is a short 6 seconds, so the waves will be a bit weak and fat.

Friday the 21st is more of the same, with 3 ft waves from the NE. The morning is clean with a light W wind, but it's still nothing to get excited about. The afternoon sees a glassy offshore wind from the NNW, but the weak energy (107) and short period mean you'll be waiting for the odd lump.

The weekend is a write-off. Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd have tiny waves under 2 ft, and the energy is pathetic. Sunday morning is glassy, but with a 2 ft swell, it's barely a ripple. The sea surface on Sunday afternoon gets a bit of a bump from a cross-shore, but the swell is still too small.

We then move into a mixed bag. Monday the 24th offers another 3 ft wave from the ENE, but the morning is clean with a light offshore wind. The combined energy is 59 (weak), so it's still small. The rest of the week through to Friday the 28th is a mix of glassy mornings and onshore winds, with waves hovering around 3 ft to 3 ft. There's a brief moment on Tuesday the 25th morning with a glassy 3 ft swell, but it's still weak.

The first real standout appears on Saturday the 29th of August. The morning brings a solid 7 ft swell from the NE, with a 7-second period and a combined energy of 718 (strong). The wind is a cross-off from the N, keeping it clean. At 7 ft, this is getting into bigger territory, so it's more for the experienced crew. The afternoon looks messy with a strong cross-shore, so get in early.

The following weekend, Sunday the 30th, is top shelf. The morning has a 5 ft swell from the ENE with an 8-second period and a combined energy of 280 (moderate). The wind is a light cross-off from the WNW, making for clean conditions. The afternoon is similar with 5 ft waves and a light W breeze. This is a solid day for intermediates and up.

The start of the next week, Monday the 31st and Tuesday the 1st of September, shows a drop-off in size to 4 ft from the ENE. The winds are offshore or cross-off, keeping it clean, but the energy is moderate (around 140-199). The crowd factor is "sometimes" here, so it could get a bit busy on the good days.

The real standout in the long-range is Thursday the 3rd of September. The morning brings a glassy 5 ft swell from the ENE with a longer 11-second period, giving a combined energy of 505 (strong). This is a classic groundswell setup, and with glassy conditions, it'll be absolutely perfect. The afternoon is also good with a cross-off breeze. The day before, Wednesday the 2nd, is marginal with a 5 ft swell and a cross-shore, but the period is also 11 seconds, so there's some energy. Friday the 4th of September is also a solid option with 4 ft waves from the ENE and a 10-second period, clean in the morning with a light offshore.

So, the pick of the whole 16-day window is Thursday the 3rd of September. The combination of a 5 ft ENE swell with an 11-second period and glassy conditions will deliver the best waves. Saturday the 29th of August is a strong secondary option for the bigger wave hunters, and Sunday the 30th of August is a great all-rounder.

Rusty.

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