Manly Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty checkin' in from Manly. Let's have a look at what's cookin'.

Right off the bat, it’s a tough stretch. The forecast for the next couple of weeks is a real mixed bag, with a whole lot of ordinary days and only a couple of windows that might get the heart racing. The water’s sitting at 62°, which is about a degree and a half cooler than usual for this time of year, so you’ll feel that nip in the air and the water.

Sunday morning (23rd August) is a bit of a tease. We’ve got a 5ft swell rolling in from the south, and it's glassy with a NNE breeze at just 3 mph. That’s the kind of start you want, but the wave comment says it all: "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions". The energy is moderate (358), but it just doesn’t have the shape. It’s a beginner-friendly point break, but the quality isn't there for a standout session.

Then the bottom falls out. From Sunday afternoon right through to Tuesday the 26th, it’s a write-off. Onshore winds, cross-onshore junk, and small, weak waves. Monday arvo (24th) is particularly grim with a 16 mph onshore breeze. Wednesday morning (26th) gives a flicker of hope with a 4ft swell and a clean, moderate offshore wind from the SSW, but the swell direction is ENE which isn't ideal for Manly’s sheltered setup, and the energy is weak (204).

Thursday and Friday are more of the same – small, choppy, and uninspiring. Saturday the 29th sees a clean 3ft SSE swell with a gentle offshore, but it’s tiny.

Now, for the one true standout. Look at Monday the 31st of August. The morning session has a 2ft swell from the south, but the period is a massive 18 seconds. That is proper, long-period groundswell energy (480 – strong energy). The wind is a glassy offshore from the SW at just 3 mph. This is the best on offer in the whole outlook. The waves will have serious push and shape for a small wave, and it’ll be clean as a whistle. Manly is a sheltered point, and that long period will wrap in nicely. Be warned: crowds are often a thing here, so get out early.

After that, the rest of the first week of September fades out. Tuesday the 1st has a 3ft south swell with a 14-second period, but it’s cross-shore and messy. The 3rd of September has a bigger 5ft SSE swell, but it’s short period (7 seconds) and not clean enough to be a goer. The 4th has a clean 3ft S swell with a cross-offshore breeze, but again, it’s just small and ordinary.

The second week is quiet. The 6th and 7th of September offer tiny, weak waves with poor to fair conditions. Nothing to get excited about.

So, to sum it up: the whole 16-day run is a drought with one decent drink of water on Monday the 31st of August. Get that glassy, long-period groundswell session in, because everything else is a pass for serious surfing.

Rusty.

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