Mainside Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for the local waters.

First up, the water is sitting at about 83°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

We’ve got a bit of a flat spell to kick things off. Thursday and Friday are a write-off with messy winds and poor conditions. Saturday morning stays ordinary, but by Saturday afternoon we start seeing some life. The swell stays small, around 3ft from the north with a period of 9 seconds, and the wind swings to a light cross-offshore. It’s clean but nothing to get too excited about – just surfable waves.

Sunday morning hangs in there with similar 4ft north swell and clean conditions, but the wind picks up through the afternoon, chopping it up. Monday through to Thursday of the following week is a tough stretch – cross-onshore winds and lumpy surf mean you’re better off doing something else. The energy’s there, around 260 to 417 (moderate to strong), but it’s all wind-affected.

The standout window opens up on Saturday the 12th of September. We get offshore winds from the east, light at 6 to 9 mph, and a clean 3ft north swell with a period of 8 to 9 seconds. The water will be glassy, and the waves will peel nicely. It’s not a big swell but the conditions are near perfect. Mainside will be worth a paddle – just expect it might be a bit inconsistent with that period, holding up best on the reef.

Sunday the 13th afternoon is the real gem. The wind goes offshore from the east-southeast, 12 mph, and there’s a clean 3ft north-northwest swell with an 8-second period. The combined energy is moderate (205), but the wave quality should be good. This is your best bet of the whole outlook – light offshores and clean lines.

Heading into the second week, things taper off. Monday the 14th is small and messy, Tuesday offers a bit of east swell around 3ft with clean winds but nothing special. Wednesday the 16th is a weird one – strong offshore winds of 25 mph will keep the surface glassy but make paddling out a real mission. The swell’s only 3ft from the east with a 10-second period, so it’s a clean but challenging session for the fit ones.

After that, it’s mostly poor surf with cross-onshore winds and weak energy (47 to 170) through to the 18th. The last few days of the forecast are a total dud.

So, bottom line: don’t hold your breath this week. The best call is to aim for Saturday the 12th and Sunday the 13th afternoons – especially Sunday, when the offshores and small north swell should give you the cleanest waves of the whole run.

Stay stoked,
Rusty.

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