Manly-South Steyne Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, it's Rusty. Let's be straight with you – the next 16 days for Manly-South Steyne are looking pretty grim. There's a long stretch of nothing worthwhile, and honestly, a lot of it is a write-off for a paddle surfer. You're looking at a gap of about a week before we see anything that's even worth a mention, and even then, it's not much to get excited about.

We start on Monday the 24th with nothing. Tiny, messy swell and onshore winds. Tuesday the 25th is even smaller, and we go through to Wednesday the 26th with barely a ripple. You're better off staying home.

Thursday the 27th morning is the first real glimmer. We get a pulse of 5 ft S swell, but the period is a short 8 seconds, so it's going to be a bit lumpy and weak. The combined energy is moderate (304). The wind is light and cross-off, so the surface will be clean. It's surfable, but ordinary. The afternoon gets pushed onshore again, so get in early if you're keen.

Friday the 28th is a step back – 3 ft to 4 ft, onshore winds, and the conditions are just poor. The energy is moderate (245-346) but the wind kills it.

Saturday the 29th morning is the best of a bad bunch for the first week. We've got a 4 ft SSE swell with a 10-second period, and the wind is glassy. The surface will be like a mirror, a total treat for the conditions. The combined energy is moderate (220). It's a rare moment of calm. But the crowds at Manly can be a problem, and with the only decent window being a Saturday morning, expect it to be busy.

Then we hit another big gap. Sunday the 30th through to Thursday the 3rd of September is all tiny, inconsistent, and mostly wind-affected. A few sessions have clean conditions, but the swell is just too small to bother with. The energy is weak to non-existent, often under 100.

Now, Friday the 4th of September shows a bit of life. The afternoon session has a 3 ft S swell, and the wind is a moderate 15 mph offshore. That will produce clean, lined-up waves, and the energy is moderate (230). It's surfable, but still not a standout.

The one true standout is the morning of Saturday the 5th of September. This is your best shot. The swell is 3 ft from the SSE, but the period is a very long 16 seconds. That's proper groundswell. The combined energy is strong (524). The wind is a gentle 9 mph cross-off, so it will be clean. For a reef break like Manly-South Steyne, that long period will be a real treat, wrapping in nicely. The wave quality will be much better than the height suggests. This is the one to circle on the calendar. The afternoon gets blown out by a strong onshore, so don't be late.

After that, it's back to small, onshore, and ordinary for the rest of the run. Sunday the 6th and beyond is all tiny, weak, and messy. The combined energy drops off a cliff. The water temperature is about average for this time of year.

Overall, if you're a paddle surfer, you've got two windows: Saturday morning the 29th and Saturday morning the 5th of September. The 5th is the real pick, but it's a long way out and things can change. For the rest, you're better off with a kite.

Rusty.

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