Manly Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – the next couple of weeks are a mixed bag for Manly. There’s a real dry spell to start, then we get a couple of solid pulse days, but you’ve gotta be patient. The water temp is sitting at 63°F, which is about average for this time of year, nothing to write home about.

The first few days are a write-off. From Monday the 31st of August right through to Saturday the 5th of September, there’s barely a wave worth paddling for. The swell is small, mostly around 2ft to 3ft from the south, with onshore or cross-shore winds making it messy. The combined swell energy is weak, dipping as low as 74 (weak) on the Saturday afternoon. Not worth suiting up.

It’s not until Sunday the 6th of September that we get a glimmer. The morning session is the standout early window: a clean 5ft south swell with glassy conditions from the ENE. The combined energy hits 493 (moderate), and the waves are clean. That’s your best bet for a decent, easy paddle. But the afternoon turns onshore and it’s gone.

Monday the 7th is a blowout with strong wind and lumpy chop, but Tuesday the 8th sees a change. The morning brings a clean 5ft swell from the NE with a solid offshore SW wind at 16 mph. The combined energy is 426 (moderate) and it’s clean. This is a solid, fun option for intermediate surfers.

Now, the real standout – and I mean the big one – is Wednesday the 9th of September. Get ready. The early morning is absolutely pumping: a 16ft south swell, period of 11 seconds, with glassy WSW winds. The combined energy is a massive 6205 (very strong). That’s big, powerful groundswell, and it’s breaking clean. This is for experienced surfers only – way too big for beginners. The afternoon remains a big 16ft SSE swell, but with a cross-off wind, still clean but with a bit more texture. The energy is 6341 (very strong). This is the best day of the whole forecast, by a long shot.

Thursday the 10th still has a solid 13ft SE swell in the morning with clean offshore winds, energy at 3585 (very strong). Another expert-only session. The afternoon gets a bit cross-on and choppy, but you’ll still find waves. By Friday the 11th, the swell drops to 6ft from the east, with a glassy morning that’s clean and fun for most surfers. Combined energy is 837 (moderate). The afternoon turns onshore again.

After that, the surf fades out. From Saturday the 12th of September through to Tuesday the 15th, it’s back to small, weak, and mostly onshore or cross-shore. The swell drops to 2ft by the end, with combined energy down to 62 (weak). Not much to chase.

Bottom line: if you’re after the goods, lock in Wednesday the 9th and Thursday the 10th for the big stuff. Sunday the 6th and Tuesday the 8th are your best smaller windows. The rest is a long flat spell, but that’s the way it goes sometimes.

Rusty.

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