Merewether - Ladies Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty, and I’ve been staring at charts for this patch of coastline all morning. We’ve got a run of surf coming through, but it’s a bit of a mixed bag. Let’s break it down.

The first solid window kicks off on Saturday morning, 1st August. We’re looking at Merewether - Ladies (reef). The water’s sitting at 64°, which is about average for this time of year – nothing unusual there. That morning, we’ve got a 5ft swell from the SSE with a period of 9 seconds, and a light W wind making it cross-off. The combined energy is moderate (414). It’s not the biggest, but the conditions are clean and it’s a very consistent spot. This is a solid start, but honestly, the better stuff is right around the corner.

Now, Sunday morning, 2nd August – this is the standout of the first week. The swell drops slightly to 5ft from the SSE, but the period jumps to 13 seconds, which is a proper groundswell. The combined energy shoots up to strong (917), and we’ve got a light NNW wind – cross-off and clean. This is the one to circle on the calendar. The longer period means better shaped waves and more energy, though at a reef break like this, it’ll handle it beautifully. It’s an intermediate spot, but with that size, it’s still manageable for most. Crowds are possible here, so get in early.

Monday, 3rd August, keeps things rolling with a 4ft SE swell at 11 seconds, and a solid NW offshore wind of 15 km/h. The energy is moderate (311) and the waves will be clean. It’s a good follow-up session, but not the highlight.

Then we hit a flat spell. From Tuesday, 4th August, right through to Wednesday, 12th August, the surf is poor or non-existent. There’s a few days with tiny waves under 2ft and very weak energy (values like 36 and 25), and even when a little pulse comes through on Thursday, 6th August (5ft S swell), the wind turns cross-on and it’s marginal. This is a proper gap of about 8 days where you’re better off doing something else.

Thursday, 13th August, sees a bump in size – 7ft from the S, but with a moderate cross-shore wind and a period of 9 seconds. The energy is strong (697), but the conditions are messy, with a cross-chop. That’s getting into bigger territory, but it’s not clean. Given the wind and the setup, this might be more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The real magic, though, is the second week. Saturday morning, 15th August – we’ve got a 3ft swell from the SSE, but the period is a massive 21 seconds. That’s a very long period groundswell. The combined energy is strong (959). With a light NNW wind – cross-off and clean – this is setup for perfection. At a reef, that long period will produce long, lined-up waves. It’s a bit smaller in height, but the quality will be unreal. This is another standout. Keep in mind, long-range forecasts can shift, but this one’s got promise.

Sunday morning, 16th August, still has some energy with a 3ft S swell at 14 seconds, but the wind is cross-on from the east and there’s rain showers. The energy is very strong (1028), but the conditions are marginal. Probably one to watch from the carpark.

So, the two picks: Sunday 2nd August morning and Saturday 15th August morning. Don’t sleep on them.

Rusty.

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