Manly Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s look at what we’ve got coming down the line at Manly.

The next 16 days start off pretty quiet. We’ve got a long stretch of small, ordinary surf with cranky wind, so don’t bother paddling out until next week. There’s a bit of ankle-snapper on offer Sunday morning (Aug 30) with a 3ft south swell and a 9-second period, but it’s cross-off wind and the wave energy is weak (283). Same again Monday and Tuesday – small and messy. Honestly, from now right through to Saturday September 5th, it’s a wasteland. The swell stays tiny or onshore, and there’s nothing worth suiting up for.

But then, mark your calendar. On Sunday morning September 6th, we get a sudden pulse of proper groundswell. The south swell jumps to 4ft with a 12-second period and light offshore SSW wind – glassy clean. The combined energy jumps right up to 511 (moderate). It’s still a beginner-friendly height with clean conditions, so if you’re keen for an early session, that’s the first window.

Don’t get excited about the rest of that day though. By afternoon the onshore gets nasty again, and Monday the 7th and Tuesday the 8th are blown out or weak.

Now, the real standout comes later. Thursday morning September 10th is the day. South swell pumps up to 8ft with a 13-second period and light offshore WSW wind. The combined wave energy hits 2426 – that’s strong, powerful surf. Conditions are clean and orderly with gentle offshore wind. This is for experienced surfers only – big, long-period south groundswell piling into Manly point. That kind of period and size will make the point reel with some proper lines. Crowds can be a factor here, so you’ll want to be sharp and early. If you can handle it, this is the best day of the outlook.

Friday morning September 11th keeps the energy alive. Still a 10ft south swell, 12-second period, and more offshore SW wind. Combined energy is 2346 – still very strong. Excellent but only for experts again. The afternoon holds at 8ft with those clean offshores, so still solid if you’ve got the experience.

After that the swell tapers off quickly for the weekend and into the second week. There’s a 4ft to 6ft south swell on the 12th and 14th, but winds turn cross or onshore, making it choppy and not worth the paddle. The run looks pretty ordinary after that.

Water temp is sitting at 63°F right now, which is about 1°F cooler than average for this time of year – nothing too crazy, just a little fresh. It's a point break, so that long-period groundswell on the 10th and 11th will wrap in nicely.

Forget the beach setup when it's big – for that Thursday and Friday, it’s strictly a point wave show. Winds are offshore and the shape should be super clean. This is your highlight, so plan around it.

Rusty.

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