Manly-South Steyne Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer over the next couple of weeks.

Straight up, it’s a tough run for Manly-South Steyne. This reef break is sheltered and needs a south swell to work, but for the first week and a half, the waves are just too small and the conditions are all over the place. There’s a long dry spell with hardly anything worth paddling out for. We do eventually see a spike in size, but it comes with problems.

The first real chance to get wet comes on Friday the 4th of September. The morning shows a bit of life with a 3ft south swell and a light breeze. The wave energy is weak (128), and the period is a moderate 10 seconds, so it’s not going to blow your mind. It’s surfable but very ordinary. That afternoon the wind swings onshore and kills it.

We then go through a few more days of tiny, weak swell. A slight bump arrives on Sunday the 6th of September. The morning is clean with a 3ft south swell, the period jumps to 12 seconds, and the combined energy is moderate (271). It’s still described as ordinary, but that’s the best of a rough patch. The water temperature is sitting about average for this time of year.

The standout, if you can call it that, is Tuesday the 15th of September. This is a solid south swell at 8ft, with a long 13-second period, driving a strong wave energy of 1995. That’s a powerful, clean morning with offshore wind. However, at this size, it’s really only for the experts. The problem is the swell direction is south, but this spot’s optimum swell direction is south, so it matches up well. The wind is a moderate offshore, so the lineup will be clean. Crowds are listed as sometimes, so expect a few others who’ve been waiting for this.

The afternoon of the 15th turns messy as the wind goes cross-onshore, blowing out that beautiful morning. The rest of the forecast is a mix of smaller, onshore slop.

So, to be honest, there’s no great stretch of surf here. It’s a waiting game for that one big, clean morning on the 15th. If you’re an experienced local, that’s your window. For everyone else, it’s a long, flat spell.

Rusty.

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