Southport Main Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Southport Main Beach over the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, it’s a bit of a tough stretch to be honest with you. There’s not a lot to get excited about and there are long gaps where I wouldn’t even bother paddling out. The water temp is sitting at 69°, which is only 0.9° off the norm for this time of year, so nothing weird going on there.

For the first week, from Thursday the 13th right through to the end of the following week, it’s pretty grim. We’ve got a persistent cross-onshore wind and the combined energy is weak, barely cracking 100 (57) at best. The swell is tiny, around 1 ft to 2 ft, and the period is short at 9 seconds or less. It’s choppy, lumpy, and just not worth your time. There’s a slight bump in size around Sunday the 16th, with swell hitting 4 ft and energy climbing to 138, but the wind is still a cross-shore mess and the period drops to a pathetic 6 seconds. That’s just slop.

Mid-week, around the 17th and 18th, the swell actually pushes up to 6 ft to 6 ft with period improving to 7 or 8 seconds, and the energy jumps into the moderate range (327 to 422). That’s more size, but the wind is still a fresh cross-onshore. The waves are lumpy and poor, and for a beach break like this, it’s honestly more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer. Too much wind and chop.

By the 22nd, we finally see a change. On the morning of Saturday the 22nd, we get a clean offshore wind from the west at only 6 mph, with a 3 ft easterly swell at 8 seconds. The energy is low at 150, but the conditions are clean. The combined swell is all from the east, which is right in the optimum direction for the break. Unfortunately, this is really just an ordinary, surfable wave. Nothing special.

Sunday the 23rd morning is similar: a 3 mph offshore from the west, clean, 3 ft at 9 seconds. Still pretty weak energy at 175. It’s rideable, but you won’t be writing home about it.

After that, we drop off again. By the 24th and 25th, we’re back to 2 ft to 2 ft with weak energy below 100. The standout in this whole forecast is the morning of Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd. If you’re desperate for a session, go then. The wind is offshore, the conditions are clean, and you’ll get a knee-high wave. But keep your expectations low.

The rest of the window from the 24th onward is mostly flat or onshore trash. The 27th and 28th are barely 1 ft, with energy in the 20s – that’s next to nothing.

So, overall, it’s a poor run. There are about eight or nine days straight with no real recommendation. The only glimmer is that Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd mornings offer clean, small surf. It’s not a standout by any stretch, just the best of a bad bunch.

Rusty, signing off.

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