Manly Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab your wettie, let’s have a look at the next couple of weeks at Manly. This is a sheltered point break that’s best for the beginner crew, and it’s a spot that needs the right swell direction to really light up.

Right now, we are looking at a serious lull. For the next few days on Friday (Aug 21) and Saturday (Aug 22), forget it – tiny, messy, and just not worth paddling for. The energy levels are weak, with the combined swell energy only sitting at 65 and then dropping to 22 on Saturday. It’s a flat spell, simple as that.

That glassy window on Sunday morning (Aug 23) is the first real flicker of hope. We’ve got 5ft of south swell rolling in with a long 10-second period. The wind is dead calm, glassy smooth. The combined energy climbs to a moderate 394. The water is sitting at 63°, which is about average for this time of year. This is a real chance for some clean, fun waves even if they’re not spectacular. The south direction isn’t the optimum SE for Manly, but the conditions will make it look better than it is.

Then we hit another stretch of poor, choppy conditions through the week. The winds go onshore, the swell stays small or gets chopped up. It’s ugly from Monday the 24th through Wednesday the 26th. The period is short, around 6-8 seconds, and the energy stays moderate but the quality is zero.

Thursday morning (Aug 27) is the real standout. It’s everything you want. The swell is solid at 4ft from the south with that 10-second period, but the magic is the wind. It’s a glassy WSW, dead still. The combined swell energy hits a strong 474. The forecast is calling for “expect good surf conditions,” and that’s the only time you’ll see a clean score in this run. This is the session to target. Get out there. It’s a point break, so that south swell will wrap in nicely and the lack of wind will make it clean as a whistle.

The next week is a mixed bag. It’s either too windy, too small, or choppy. The energy drops back down, and the runs are short and weak. The only other faint pulse of size is on Saturday morning (Sep 5). That one has a 5ft south swell with the combined energy jumping to a strong 644. That’s plenty of water moving. But the wind is light from the NW, and the report says “marginal surf forecast.” The period is 10 seconds, so it's a solid groundswell. It could be worth a look for a bigger-boat session, but that size (over 5ft) is getting a bit of a push for the mellow learners’ crowd. The crowds here can be a thing so don't be surprised if you’ve got company.

So, in a nutshell… don’t bother this weekend. That Thursday morning (Aug 27) is your golden, glassy ticket. The following Saturday (Sep 5) is promising but less certain, with some real size on offer.

Stay salty,
Rusty

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