Southport Main Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you: the next couple of weeks are not going to have you carving up perfection. We’ve got a long stretch of small, messy, and wind-affected surf ahead, with only a couple of brief windows that might get the heart rate up. The first surf worth paddling out for is this Wednesday morning, but even that’s a “make the most of it” situation.

Wednesday Morning, August 5th: Southport Main Beach is the only game in town, and it’s a gentle one. We’ve got a clean 2.6ft of east swell, with a period of 10 seconds. The wind is a light cross-offshore from the northwest at 6 mph, which is keeping the surface glassy. The water temp is 68.4°, which is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there. It’s surfable, but it’s not going to blow your mind. This is a beginners' wave at the moment, so if you’re learning, it’s a decent chance.

Thursday Morning, August 6th: The swell drops off to a weaker 1.6ft, but the wind is dead calm and glassy. It’s tiny, but if you’ve got a longboard or a foamie, it could be a fun, relaxed session. The energy is weak (64), so don’t expect much push.

Friday Morning, August 7th: A little more size back, 2.6ft, and it’s glassy again with zero wind. The swell direction is east, and it’s clean. It’s still on the small side, but this is probably the best of the early mornings – a proper glass-off.

Saturday, August 8th: The morning is onshore, and the afternoon picks up a bit of size to 3.3ft, but it’s also onshore and lumpy. Not worth the paddle.

Sunday Morning, August 9th: This is a bit of a standout for the first week. The swell pushes to 3.3ft with a 9-second period, and the wind is a light cross-offshore from the northwest. It’s clean and has a bit more push to it. The energy is moderate (182). This is the best bet for a fun, uncrowded session on a longboard or a fish.

Monday, August 10th: The wind turns offshore from the west, blowing 16-25 mph, and the swell holds at 2.6ft. It’s clean, but that offshore wind is going to make it a bit bumpy and hold it up. Still, it’s rideable and better than the rest of the week.

Tuesday Morning, August 11th: Another glassy morning with 2.3ft of swell. Clean, but the energy is low. A quick paddle before the afternoon onshore wind kicks in.

Wednesday, August 12th: The morning is cross-offshore, but the afternoon turns to a choppy cross-onshore. Not great.

Thursday, August 13th: Now we’re talking. The swell jumps to 7.5ft in the morning, and 7.9ft in the afternoon, with a period of 9-10 seconds. The energy is strong (1049-1319). This is a proper pulse of swell. But, and it’s a big but, the wind is cross-shore and then a fresh cross-onshore in the afternoon, making it lumpy and messy. This is a powerful, junky wave. For experts only. If you’re a beginner, stay well away – this is well over the 5ft mark. The wave quality is poor, and honestly, with that wind, it might be more interesting for the kite surfers than us paddle surfers.

Friday, August 14th: The swell drops quickly. Morning has 6.9ft, but it’s still cross and messy. The afternoon drops to 3.3ft and is blown out. Skip it.

Saturday, August 15th: The swell is down to 2.3ft in the morning, but the cross-onshore wind makes it a waste of time. The afternoon picks up slightly to 3.9ft, but it’s fresh and lumpy. Not worth it.

Sunday, August 16th: Rain showers and a fresh cross-onshore wind with 3.3-4.3ft of messy swell. Nothing to see here.

Monday, August 17th: More of the same – cross and choppy. The swell is around 3.3ft, but the wind is ruining any chance of a clean wave.

Tuesday, August 18th: The swell drops to 2.3ft in the morning, but the wind is still bad. The afternoon sees a short period 6-second swell at 3.6ft – that’s just wind chop. Forget it.

Wednesday, August 19th: There’s a pulse of 5.6ft in the morning with a 10-second period, but it’s cross-shore and

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