Manly Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with ya – the next 16 days ain’t gonna be a classic for Manly. It’s a real mixed bag, with a big patch of nothing in the middle, then a couple of late standouts that’ll get the blood pumping. Let’s take it day by day.

We kick off on Saturday, 29 August, with a bit of life. The morning’s the best of the early run: a clean 4ft swell pushing in from the SSE, with a light cross-off breeze from the SSW keeping things tidy. The energy’s moderate (424), and the water’s sitting at 63°F, which is pretty average for the time of year. It’s a point break, and the swell is working from the right direction, making it a decent option for a beginner or a laid-back session. The afternoon gets a bit ordinary though – the wind goes cross, and the energy drops, so it’s more of a morning mission.

Then comes the dry spell. From Sunday, 30 August, right through to Friday, 4 September, it’s pretty grim. We’re looking at a string of small, weak, or onshore slop. The swell barely gets above 3ft, and the wind is mostly cross-onshore or onshore, making it choppy and messy. There’s a brief flicker on Wednesday afternoon with a tiny 2ft clean wave, but it’s barely surfable. That’s a solid week of nothing to get excited about.

After that, the weekend of 5-6 September is still disappointing – small swell and either lumpy cross-shore winds or barely there clean waves. The energy is weak (under 100), so don’t bother.

Now, the second week looks a lot more promising, but you gotta be patient. Monday, 7 September, sees a big jump in size – 8ft and 7ft – but the wind is howling at 25 mph from the WNW. It’s clean, but that’s a gale. The energy is strong (804), but it’s a mess for a point break with that much wind. The whole day is a write-off for paddling. Tuesday, 8 September, is the same story: huge swell (6ft-7ft), but the wind is still a solid 25 mph from the west. The afternoon has a 7ft swell with a 13-second period and energy at 1398, but with that cross-off gale, it’s gonna be a war zone. This setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Then the standout window opens. Wednesday, 9 September morning is the real deal. You’ve got a clean 8ft swell from the S, with a 12-second period, and it’s a solid offshore wind from the SW at 16 mph. The energy is cranking at 1848. That’s a proper groundswell with serious power. For a point break, the long period (12 seconds) means long lines and plenty of juice. The size is over 8ft, so this is for experts only – beginners, stay on the sand. The offshore wind will make it absolutely glassy and beautiful. This is the best on offer, hands down.

Thursday, 10 September morning is another banger. A 7ft swell from the SSE, with a 12-second period, and it’s glassy – a light SSW wind at 3 mph. The energy is still very strong (1140). The wave quality will be pristine, with that long-period swell wrapping around the point. It’s a bit smaller than Wednesday, but the glassy conditions make it a dream session. That’s the second standout.

Friday, 11 September, still has a clean 4ft swell from the SSE in the morning, with a 12-second period and a light cross-off wind. It’s a good, surfable wave, but the energy is dropping (656) and the afternoon gets messy with an onshore breeze. The weekend of 12-13 September fades out into small, weak, and onshore junk again.

So, to sum it up: there’s a long, boring gap from the end of August through to the start of the second week. The real action is on the 9th and 10th of September. Wednesday morning’s 8ft S swell with offshore wind is the big one for experts, and Thursday morning’s glassy 7ft SSE swell is the perfect follow-up. Get on it if you can.

Rusty.

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