Little Austi and Main Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you: the next couple of weeks are looking pretty average for Little Austi and Main Beach. We’ve got a lot of small, weak surf ahead, so don’t get too excited just yet. It’s not a complete write-off, but you’ll need to be patient and pick your moments.

The water temp is sitting at about 64°, which is pretty much what you'd expect for this time of year, so no surprises there.

We start off slow. Tuesday the 18th is flat and messy, with a weak 3ft easterly windswell and a light cross breeze. Nothing doing. Wednesday the 19th is a bit better first thing. The sun’s out, and we’ve got a clean 2ft east-southeast swell in the water. The energy is moderate (226), and with that light offshore touch, it’ll be worth a quick paddle. But it's small, and the afternoon gets chopped up by a moderate east-northeast breeze. The rest of that week and into the weekend is really just tiny leftovers under 3ft. There’s occasional clean windows, like Friday morning and Saturday morning, but the swell is so weak it’s barely breaking.

We go through a real flat spell from the 22nd to the 28th. There are days with just ankle-biters and almost no energy at all. You'd be better off doing anything else. The morning of the 23rd is glassy, and the 25th is glassy too, but there’s simply no power in the water.

Now, here’s where things get interesting. About a week out, on Saturday the 29th, we get a pulse of long-period southeast swell. It’s 7ft at 9 seconds, and the energy jumps to a solid 735. That’s the standout of the whole run. The wind is light offshore in the morning, so it should be clean. This is a proper wave. It could be a bit much for beginners at 7ft, but for the intermediates and up, this is your window. You want to be out there.

Hold on though, because it doesn't last. That Sunday the 30th, the wind swings strong from the south-southwest at 25 mph, and the ocean turns into a mess. The swell builds to 8ft, but with that cross-shore wind, it’s going to be a washing machine. By Sunday afternoon and into Monday the 31st, it’s big, up to 16ft at times, and completely blown out with a strong cross-onshore wind. This is not paddle surfing. This is kite-surfing mayhem, and even then, it’s sketchy. The energy readings are off the charts (3847), but it’s all for naught with that wind. This is for experts only, and even they might be scratching their heads.

The start of September stays lumpy and onshore, with more fresh breezes and messy waves. The swell drops slightly, but the quality is just poor. All in all, if you’re looking for the best surf of the fortnight, circle Saturday the 29th. It’s still over a week away, so keep an eye on the long-range forecasts, but it’s the one that stands out as genuinely good. Otherwise, keep your board in the car and your expectations low.

Rusty.

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