Manly Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, let’s talk about what’s coming up for Manly.

Water temp is sitting at about 64°F, which is pretty average for the season. No worries there.

The next few days are a bit of a bust. Friday morning the 4th of September has a little pulse with a 5ft south swell, 11-second period, and a clean offshore wind. The combined energy is moderate at 537, and the wind is off, so it’ll be glassy. The catch is, Manly is a sheltered point break that likes SE swell, and this is coming straight from the south. It’ll be small and weak, only for beginners and longboards. By Friday afternoon, the wind swings onshore and it’s done. Saturday and Sunday are both small and messy, with cross-off winds but no real power. Monday morning the 7th shows a bit more size at 5ft, but the period is short at 8 seconds, and the energy is only moderate (263). It’s clean, but not doing much.

Now, the standout in the first week is Tuesday afternoon the 8th of September. The swell jumps to 8ft from the south at 11 seconds, and the combined energy is strong at 1579. The wind is light and cross-off from the SSE, so it’ll be clean. This is the best on offer early on. But heads up, 8ft is pushing into expert territory, and with a south swell at a sheltered SE point, it might be a bit lumpy and straight. Not a beginner wave that day.

Wednesday the 9th is a no-go with a strong southerly wind. Thursday the 10th sees a big jump in size – 10ft south swell, 12-second period, and the energy is very strong at 2797. The wind is offshore from the SSW in the morning, clean. But that’s a big, powerful swell, only for experienced surfers, and at Manly it might be too much. The period is long enough to barrel a bit, but the direction is off.

Friday the 11th and Saturday the 12th are still solid with 8ft and 5ft south swells, long periods around 12 seconds, and clean conditions. The energy is still strong (1694 on Friday, 770 on Saturday). These are good, solid, clean days, but again, the swell direction is not ideal for a sheltered SE point. It’ll be inconsistent with long lulls between sets.

Then we hit a huge gap. From Sunday the 13th all the way through to Wednesday the 16th, it’s tiny, onshore, and flat. A real lull. Nothing for surfers there.

The next promising window comes on Thursday the 17th of September. The morning has a 6ft SSW swell, short period of 7 seconds, but the wind is light and cross-off from the WNW, so it’s clean. The energy is moderate (522). It’s surfable, but not epic. The real standout is Thursday afternoon: a 10ft south swell, 12-second period, combined energy at a massive 3494. The wind is slight and from the north, so it’s almost glassy. That’s a huge, powerful, clean swell, but again, it’s a south swell at a sheltered point – it’ll be big and heavy, only for the crew.

Friday the 18th of September is even bigger, with 12ft south swell, 14-second period, and energy readings over 4600. But the wind is howling from the SSE at 22 mph, making it a messy, blown-out mess. Not for paddling, more for the kites.

Saturday the 19th of September still has size (8ft, 12 seconds, 1920 energy) but the wind is onshore and choppy. No good for us.

The best of the run: Tuesday afternoon the 8th and Thursday the 17th (afternoon) are the two standouts, but both are big, powerful south swells for a sheltered point. Thursday the 17th is the pick of the two for size and power, but it’s a week and a half away, so keep an eye on it. For cleaner, more manageable waves, the mornings of Friday the 11th and Saturday the 12th look solid.

Rusty.

Read more