Manly Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, mates, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you: the next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for most of us. We’ve got a long stretch of small, weak, and messy surf ahead, but there are a couple of brief windows where things might just line up. Don’t get too excited, but don’t write the whole period off either.

The first real chance for a wave comes on Monday the 17th. We’re looking at a drop of swell, down to about 3ft, but that period is a bit better at 10 seconds. The morning is glassy with a light WSW wind, so it’ll be clean, but it’s pretty ordinary. The energy is weak, with a combined swell energy reading of 193. Water temp is 62°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll want the hood and gloves. This isn’t a standout, just a chance to get wet if you're desperate.

After that, things go flat and messy for a solid stretch. From Tuesday the 18th through to the 23rd, it’s a wasteland. We’ve got wind from all over, mostly onshore or cross-onshore, and the swell is small, under 3ft, with short, weak periods. The energy readings are in the low hundreds, sometimes even below 100, which tells you there’s just nothing moving out there. This is a long gap of poor conditions.

We get a little pulse of energy on the 24th, but it’s messy and onshore, so we skip that. On Tuesday the 25th, the morning looks slightly better with a clean 4ft from the NE, but the period is only 8 seconds and the energy is decent at 178. But the afternoon turns to rubbish.

Now, the one bright spot in the near term. Friday the 28th is where it’s at. We finally get a decent groundswell pushing in from the south, with 5ft of swell and an 11-second period. The morning looks clean with a gentle offshore SW wind. The combined swell energy jumps to 615, which is strong. This is the best of the first week, no doubt. It’ll be a proper surf, not just whitewash. The direction is from the S, which isn't the optimum SE for Manly, but with that size and period, it should still offer up some decent waves. This is the one to circle.

The weekend after that, Saturday the 29th, looks even bigger, with 7ft of swell on the morning. But hold on, that swell is from the NE with a short 8-second period, so it's going to be sectiony and probably messy. The energy is high at 769, but the quality won't be there. It might be a bit much for the beginners, over 5ft, and the short period will make it tricky. The morning wind is light cross-off, so it might have some shape, but I'd be wary. It’s promising but less certain.

After that, the surf fades out again into the first day of September. We’re looking at smaller, weaker swell and onshore winds again. The second week is quiet—a couple of small clean mornings, but nothing noteworthy.

So, to sum it up: the standout is the morning of Friday the 28th, with a better groundswell from the S and clean offshore wind. It’s your best shot. The Saturday the 29th morning might offer more size, but the quality will be questionable. Get on it while you can.

Rusty, out.

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