Macauleys Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer at Macauleys over the next couple of weeks.

To be straight with you, the outlook is pretty grim for a solid stretch. We’ve got a long gap with nothing worth paddling out for. From the start of the period on Tuesday the 25th of August right through to the end of the month, it’s poor surf conditions, cross-onshore winds, and messy, choppy water. The swell is small, weak, and short-period, with combined energies barely cracking 100 (99). It’s just not worth the drive.

The first real glimpse of hope comes on Monday the 31st of August. The morning is glassy, with a clean 3ft swell from the SE at 8 seconds. The combined energy is still moderate (170) but the glassy wind and clean conditions make it surfable, though the waves themselves are ordinary. The afternoon goes cross-shore and the swell drops to 1ft with a very long 19-second period – that’s groundswell, but tiny and prone to closing out at a beach break.

Now, the standout window is Tuesday the 1st of September. Tuesday morning is the best on offer across this whole outlook. We’ve got a light N to NW breeze creating clean conditions, and a 2ft SSE swell with a very long 17-second period. The combined energy is moderate (260), and the offshore wind means clean, peeling lines. This is a point break, so those long-period groundswell lines will wrap in nicely, making for some good shape. It’s small but clean and consistent, so for a longboard or a funboard, it’ll be a nice session. The break is exposed to the SE, and the optimum swell direction is SE – that’s a perfect match. Keep in mind, this break is often crowded, so expect company. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing unusual.

Wednesday the 2nd of September morning is glassy but the swell is tiny at 1ft with a 12-second period (combined energy 104). Surfable but ordinary. Thursday the 3rd of September is poor with ENE swell and cross-shore winds. The next proper look is on Friday the 4th of September morning: a clean 2ft ENE swell with a 9-second period and a light NW offshore breeze – gentle offshore and clean. The combined energy is moderate (155). It’s an option, but not a standout.

From there, the surf stays small and inconsistent through to the end of the window. Saturday the 5th of September morning is glassy with 2ft NE swell, but ordinary. Sunday the 6th of September afternoon has a gentle offshore and 3ft SSE swell (115) – again, ordinary but clean. Monday the 7th of September morning is dead calm and glassy with 2ft E swell (97), but it’s tiny.

So, if you’re keen, pencil in Tuesday the 1st of September morning at Macauleys. It’s the clear standout: clean, offshore wind, well-shaped groundswell, and a point break that will handle the long period. The rest of the period is mostly small, average, or poor. No hidden gems later on – it’s pretty flat and messy.

Rusty.

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