Manly Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Manly over the next couple weeks.

Right off the bat, don’t get your hopes up for the next few days. We’ve got a bit of a slow start. The run of surfable days kicks off this Sunday morning, August 23rd, with a small, clean little wave. Swell is 5 ft from the south, period hanging around 9 seconds – not a groundswell but it’s got enough push to get a longboard or a foamy groveling. The wind is glassy, which is a beautiful thing, and the water’s sittin’ at 62°, pretty much normal for this time of year. Combined energy is moderate at 374. It’s a mellow little session, nothing to write home about, but for a beginner-friendly point break like Manly, it’ll be fun if you’re just wanting a paddle.

Now, after that, it gets pretty grim for a good stretch. From Sunday afternoon all the way through Wednesday afternoon, the 26th, we’ve got onshore winds, rain, and choppy junk. Not worth your time.

Thursday morning, the 27th, though… that’s where things get interesting. Manly comes alive with a solid south swell pushing 6 ft, period around 9 seconds. It’s clean with glassy conditions, and the energy is strong, hitting 552. This is the standout of the whole forecast. For a point break, south swell works nicely, and with zero wind, you’re gonna get some clean, fun walls. Not too big for the average surfer, just a good, punchy size. Make sure you get out early before the afternoon onshores mess it up.

After that, we see a few other mornings that are clean – the 30th of August Sunday morning has 6 ft south swell and offshore wind – decent, but the conditions aren’t quite as perfect as Thursday. The 31st Monday morning is cross-onshore and bumpy despite the 6 ft swell, so skip it.

Then we hit a real dry spell from September 2nd onwards. The second week has a few clean-looking mornings with offshore winds, but the swell drops right off – under 3 ft, with combined energy down to three-digit weak numbers. There’s a brief moment on September 4th Friday morning with a tiny 1.0 ft south groundswell – period 13 seconds – but that is barely a ripple. Not worth paddling out for unless you’re desperate for a salt rinse.

So, the bottom line: the real highlight is Thursday morning, August 27th at Manly. That 6 ft south swell with glassy wind is your best window. After that, it’s a long stretch of small, weak surf. The break is fairly consistent but this is a pretty lean outlook, especially through the first week of September. Keep an eye on it – forecasts change, but right now, that Thursday is your golden ticket.

Rusty out.

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