Manly Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at the outlook for Manly. We’ve got a bit of a slow start, with the first real chance to get wet not coming until Wednesday morning the 19th of August, and even then it’s a pretty ordinary affair.

The early period is a real struggle. Wednesday morning the 19th has a tiny 2-foot ESE swell with a period of 10 seconds. The combined energy is weak at 224. The water temp is sitting at 63°, which is a touch below average for this time of year, nothing to get worked up about. The wind is glassy from the north, which is a major positive, but the swell is just too small to get excited about. After that, the wind swings onshore and the swell gets messy, so we’re looking at a few days of poor conditions.

Thursday the 20th and Friday the 21st are both write-offs. The swell is small, the period is short, and the wind is all over the place. Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd are flat and poor. We’re looking at a real dry spell here for about 5 days with no real recommendations.

The first standout that catches my eye doesn’t come until Thursday the 27th of August. Thursday morning looks promising. The wind is a light cross-offshore from the west at 6 mph, which will keep the waves clean. The swell is a solid 6 feet from the south, with a period of 8 seconds. The combined energy is moderate at 426. This is a nice, solid, surfable wave for Manly, and with the light wind, it’s going to be a good session. The morning is the pick here, as the afternoon wind swings onshore and kills it.

Now, looking further ahead, the end of the month and the start of September gets really interesting, but it’s for experts only. From Saturday the 29th of August right through to Monday the 31st of August, we’ve got a big, powerful south swell. On Saturday the 29th, the swell is 8 feet building to 12 feet in the afternoon, with a period of 9 seconds. The combined energy is very strong, hitting 1163 and then 1892. The wind is cross-offshore, so the waves will be clean, but this is big, powerful stuff. By Sunday the 30th, the swell is 10 feet from the south with a period of 10 to 11 seconds and the energy is massive at 3147. This is not for the faint of heart. The best bet for stronger surfers is Monday the 31st of August. The morning still has a big 10-foot south swell, but by the afternoon it drops to 8 feet, with a very long period of 11 seconds and a light cross-offshore breeze. The combined energy is still very strong at 1395. This is a proper groundswell with a long period, which means it will be better shaped and more powerful, but it will break straight at the beach, so it’s not ideal for beginners. For the experienced crew, this is the true standout of the whole outlook.

After that, the swell eases back down through the first few days of September, with smaller, more ordinary conditions returning.

Remember, there’s a big gap in quality surf for about 5 days right at the start. The big south swell at the end of the month is the real story, and it’s one for the experts only.

Rusty.

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