Manly Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty here. Let’s be real with you – the next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for a proper surf at Manly. We’ve got a long stretch of small, weak, and often messy waves ahead. The first real glimmer of hope doesn't show up until Tuesday the 11th, and even that’s a bit iffy. Hang tight, because there are a couple of days that might just be worth the wait.

The water temp is sitting at 63°F, which is about average for this time of year, so a decent wettie is still the go.

We’re starting with a real dud. Wednesday and Thursday are basically flat to tiny, with poor conditions. There’s a little pulse of energy on Thursday arvo, but it’s cross-onshore and junky. The weekend isn't much better – Saturday morning is clean but tiny, and Sunday gets chopped up by a northerly breeze. You’d be wasting your time paddling out for these.

Now, here’s the first thing that gets the heart rate up a bit. Monday the 10th sees a jump in size with a cross-offshore wind, but the swell direction is poor and it’s just not wrapping in right – looks like a washing machine out there. Not worth it.

The first real standout is Tuesday morning, August 11th. The swell is up to 5ft from the south, and the wind is a clean cross-off from the west-northwest. The energy is moderate (498), and it’s clean. This is the first time you could actually get a few decent ones. It’s a point break, so it handles a bit of size, but the period is only 9 seconds, so it might be a bit lumpy. Still, it’s your best bet in the first week.

We get a bit of a reset on Wednesday the 12th with strong offshore winds, but the swell is small and the energy is weak. Then, hold onto your board – Thursday morning, August 13th is the big one. The swell jumps to 7ft from the south, with a very strong energy reading of 1206. The wind is light offshore from the southwest, and it’s clean. This is a proper pulse. The period is only 8 seconds, which is a bit short, but the size and the clean conditions will make it a fun, punchy day. This is the standout of the whole period. It’s over 5ft, so a bit much for beginners, but for the rest of us, it’s game on.

After that, Friday the 14th is average, and Saturday the 15th looks good again with 7ft south swell and a clean cross-off breeze, but the energy isn't as strong as Thursday's. The following week gets a bit more complicated. Sunday the 16th has size but cross-shore winds mess it up. The energy stays high, but the quality drops.

Looking into the second week, the standout is Tuesday morning, August 18th. The wind is forecast to go glassy, with a 5ft south-southeast swell and a decent 10-second period. The energy is strong (571), and glassy conditions are a massive plus. This could be a really clean, fun day, though the long period at a point break might make it a bit walled. It’s promising, but less certain than Thursday’s pulse.

The rest of the second week is a mix of small, junky, and onshore conditions. The swell direction is never quite right, and the winds aren't helping. There’s a bit of size on Monday the 17th, but the cross-shore wind chops it up. So, to sum it up: the first week is mostly a write-off, with Thursday the 13th being the clear standout – a proper solid pulse with clean wind. The second week has a glassy Tuesday the 18th that could be special if it comes together. Keep an eye on the forecasts, because this one could be a sneaky good one. This is Rusty, signing off.

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