Manly Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the pipe for Manly over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – it’s a slow start. We’re looking at a stretch of pretty ordinary to poor surf for the first several days. Don’t get your hopes up for a quick paddle this week.

The first real chance of anything worth getting wet for shows up around Thursday, the 10th of September. We’ve got some moderate wave energy coming through (combined energy of all swells directed here at 1928) with a south swell at 10ft and a 10-second period. That’s a solid size for Manly, definitely not for beginners, and the cross-off wind keeps the face reasonably clean. It’s a bit of a beast though. By Thursday afternoon, that swell pushes up to 12ft (combined energy of all swells directed here at 2539), and the southerly wind stays cross-off. That’s expert territory, with some serious power behind it. The swell direction is straight out of the south, right in that optimum window.

Friday the 11th stays chunky. The morning sees an 8ft south swell (combined energy of all swells directed here at 1176) with a moderate cross-off breeze. Afternoon drops a bit to 7ft. It’s still messy and on the big side for most.

Now, for the real standout. Friday, the 18th of September – mark it. We’ve got a whopper of a groundswell arriving: a 13ft swell from the south-west, with a very long 13-second period. The combined energy of all swells directed here is through the roof at 5256. That’s a lot of water moving. The wind is offshore from the SW at 19 mph, so it’s going to be clean and hollow. This is only for the experienced crew. The long period will make the waves hold up proper, but at this size, it could be heavy and straight-breaking for a beach setup. The point will likely handle it much better. Keep an eye on that Saturday the 19th, too – the swell drops to a much friendlier 7ft from the SSE, the winds ease up, and the energy (combined energy of all swells directed here at 1038) is still pumping. That’s your best chance for the everyman surfer.

Water temp is sitting at 65°F, which is about spot on for early September.

Look, it’s a tricky forecast. The first week is a write-off for quality. We’ve got a gap of a few days with nothing worthwhile. But that second week, especially that Friday the 18th and Saturday the 19th, there’s some proper energy on the cards. It’s far out though, so don’t lock it in just yet. Keep checking back.

Rusty.

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