Mainside Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the table for the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, this is a tough one. The forecast is pretty grim for the foreseeable future. We’ve got a solid stretch of poor surf conditions ahead, with strong offshore winds making it almost impossible to paddle into anything, and when there is a tiny bit of swell, it’s often accompanied by storm risks. The water temp is sitting right around average for this time of year at 84°F, so nothing unusual there.

The first real sniff of something rideable doesn't come until Tuesday the 25th of August. That morning, Mainside (a reef break for advanced surfers) could see a 7ft easterly groundswell with a very long 16-second period. The energy is strong at 2183, so there's some serious power behind it. Conditions are clean with a cross-offshore breeze, which sounds promising. But come afternoon, the wind swings cross-shore and the quality drops off a cliff. That Tuesday morning window is the only real standout in the whole 16-day forecast – it's the best on offer, but it's a narrow window. After that, we’re back into small, messy, or onshore conditions for the rest of the run.

There are long gaps of nothing but poor surf in between. The period from now right through to the 25th is a write-off, and after that Tuesday morning, it’s a slow slide back into marginal, small, and choppy waves. A few mornings around the 28th of August to the 1st of September show tiny, knee-high waves with clean offshore winds, but the energy is weak (under 100) and the swell is short-period. Not worth paddling out for unless you’re desperate for a float.

To be brutally honest, the only day that gets a thumbs up is the morning of Tuesday the 25th of August at Mainside. The rest of the 16 days is a struggle. If you’ve got a kite, the strong winds and lumpy conditions might be more your thing, but for a surfboard, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

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