Manly-North Steyne Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve got the outlook for the local stretch. Honestly, mate, it’s a tough run ahead. The next two weeks are looking pretty flat and disappointing for Manly-North Steyne. There’s not a single standout session that’ll get your heart pumping, and we’re staring at a long stretch of small, weak waves with iffy winds. The first recommendation doesn’t even pop up until the last week, so you’ll be waiting a while.

The pattern is all about poor surf conditions day after day, with tiny swell heights and a lot of onshore or cross-shore wind messing things up. The water temp is sitting at 64°, which is average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Kicking off Monday the 7th, it’s a total non-starter. Morning has a tiny 0.7 ft swell from the NNE, with a short period of 7 seconds and weak energy (5). The wind is light and cross-off, but the waves are just too small to bother with. Afternoon gets worse with onshore easterly wind at 15 km/h and the same flat 0.7 ft. Tuesday the 8th doesn’t get any better – 0.7 ft from the east, period of 10 seconds, but cross-shore winds and energy barely registering (9-10). Wednesday the 9th offers a tiny bump to 2 ft from the SE in the morning, period only 7 seconds and energy at 60 (still weak), but it’s clean with cross-off SSW wind. Afternoon blows up with strong southerly winds at 45 km/h and a drop to 0.7 ft. Thursday the 10th through to the weekend is all similar – flat, small, and messy. The 3 ft on Sunday the 13th afternoon is a joke, with a 4-second period, weak energy (48), and onshore NE wind making it choppy. That’s more of a kite-surfing setup, to be honest.

From Monday the 14th to Friday the 18th, it’s the same story. The 4 ft on Friday the 18th afternoon from the NNE is the biggest swell so far, but the period is only 5 seconds and energy is moderate (124). The wind is cross-off NW, so it’s clean, but the waves are short-period and weak. Not worth getting excited about.

Finally, the first real mention of any surfable conditions comes on Saturday the 19th morning. We’ve got a 2 ft swell from the SE, period 9 seconds, with moderate energy (72). The wind is offshore from the SW at 20 km/h, making it clean. The guidance says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” so it’s not a standout – just a chance to get wet. The crowds are “sometimes” a problem here, but for this small, average wave, it might not be too busy. The break is an exposed beach, so the southerly swell direction is okay, but the optimum swell direction for Manly-North Steyne is NE, so it’s not a great match.

After that, Sunday the 20th drops back to tiny 1 ft and 3 ft, and Monday the 21st is similar. The best of the whole outlook actually lands on Tuesday the 22nd morning. The swell is 3 ft from the NE, period 8 seconds, with energy at 82 (moderate). The wind is glassy, so it’s clean and smooth. That’s your best chance, but it’s still small and the period is short. Crowds are possible, but for a tiny wave like this, it’s not exactly a magnet.

Overall, there’s no real standout in this 16-day window. The surf is mostly flat, weak, and poorly aligned. If you’re desperate, Tuesday the 22nd morning is the pick, but don’t expect much. The gap from now until the 19th is a long, frustrating wait. It’s the kind of run where you check the forecast and just shake your head.

Rusty

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