Manly Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here again, with the imperial read on Manly.

Let’s be straight – this 16-day run is a real bummer. We’re stuck with a long stretch of small, messy, or blown-out surf. There isn’t one true standout, just a few fleeting moments of clean but tiny waves. It’s going to test your patience.

Starting Monday the 17th of August, it’s a total washout. Rain showers, cross-on wind, and a weak, short-period swell making for poor surf all day. The combined wave energy is weak. Tuesday and Wednesday keep the same sad theme – mostly onshore or cross-offshore, with low energy. Wednesday morning the 19th gives us a brief glassy moment with a 2ft swell from the ESE at 10 seconds, but it’s still ordinary. The water temp is about normal for this time of year, nothing special.

Thursday and Friday the 20th and 21st are more of the same: tiny, weak energy. There are a few glassy windows on Friday morning, but with the swell from the ENE at only 6 seconds, you’re barely getting wet.

Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd are clean, but the swell is barely there – think 2ft at best. You might float around on a longboard, but it’s not surf.

Monday the 24th brings a small bump. The morning is clean with a 2ft S swell at 10 seconds and moderate energy. It’s surfable, but nothing special. The afternoon turns messy again.

Now, Tuesday the 25th of August is the biggest swell of the period – about 6ft from the SSE with a 9-second period and moderate energy. That’s a short-period windswell, and with cross-shore wind, it’s going to be a bumpy, messy affair at this sheltered point. Too big for beginners and not clean enough for the experienced crew. It’s the only day with any power, and it’s still a tough call.

From the 26th through the 1st of September, it’s a letdown. Clean winds on the 26th and 27th, but the swell is small and the wind is strong – up to 25 mph. The energy drops again, and the surf is poor. There’s a period around the 28th with offshore wind and a 2ft ENE swell, but it’s just more small, clean conditions.

So, the bottom line: no real standouts. The only day with any size is the 25th, and it’s messy. The rest is a long wait for a clean, tiny wave. If you’re keen, check the 25th morning, but don’t expect much. Otherwise, this stretch is best spent doing something else.

Rusty.

Read more