Manly-South Steyne Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, I’m looking at what we’ve got for Manly-South Steyne, and honestly, it’s a long stretch of nothing for the first week and a half. This is a sheltered reef that needs a south swell, and we just aren’t getting it.

The water is sitting at 63°F, which is only about 2°F below the norm for early August, so nothing crazy — feels pretty average for the season.

We’ve got a big gap from Sunday afternoon (2nd August) right through to Saturday morning (15th August) where the surf is either flat or just not worth paddling out for. It’s a real quiet spell. The swell energy is mostly tiny, well under 100 (weak), and when it does bump up a bit, the wind is either on it or the period is too short. There’s no good window of clean, rideable waves until that second weekend.

The first real standout hits on Sunday morning, the 16th of August. The swell finally builds to about 6ft from the south, with a 13-second period — that’s proper groundswell. The combined energy is strong at 971 (moderate to strong). The wind is a light cross-off from the SSW, so it’s clean. For a reef, that longer period should wrap in nicely, though it might be a bit much for the beginners. It’s a quality call.

Then Monday morning, the 17th of August, looks even better. We’ve got 5ft of south swell, 14-second period, and the wind is light offshore from the west. The energy is up at 1002 (strong energy). That’s the pick of the whole forecast: clean, solid, and that long period will give you some real push. Just remember, with longer period swells, the sets can be a bit more spaced out, so take your time between waves.

If you’re not an advanced surfer, that 5ft to 6ft range on the 16th and 17th will be pushing it. And for the whole first week, there’s just nothing. But those two windows — Sunday morning and Monday morning — are the only real chances to get something decent. It’s a long wait, but it might just be worth it for the dedicated crew.

Rusty.

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