Mona Vale-The Basin Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, mate, it’s a quiet stretch ahead. We’re looking at a long run of small, weak, and mostly messy conditions. The first week or so is pretty much a write-off for any decent paddle surfing. The good news is that we do eventually see a few cleaner windows, but you’ll have to be patient.

The only spot with any real recommendation is Mona Vale-The Basin, a reef break that’s inconsistent and can get crowded. It’s exposed to the swell, and the best direction for it is from the NE. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing unusual there.

For the first several days, from Thursday the 27th of August right through to around the end of the month, it’s all tiny and poor. Swell heights are stuck between 1 ft and 2 ft, almost all from the ENE with a short period of 8 seconds – that’s weak, wind-driven slop. The combined energy is low, sitting between 28 and 54, so there’s just no power in the water. Winds are mostly cross or cross-onshore, chopping things up, so it’s not worth suiting up.

We get a brief glimmer on the morning of Monday the 31st of August – glassy conditions with tiny 1 ft ENE swell, but it’s still too small to do anything on. That calm, clean vibe continues through the first few days of September, but again, the size is just not there. The period does stretch out to 11 seconds on the 1st of September, which is a better sign, but the wave height is still only 1 ft to 1 ft, so it’s really just a nice day to be at the beach, not for surfing.

The standout, if you can call it that, comes on the afternoon of Tuesday the 1st of September. The wind shifts to a light offshore from the WNW, and the swell period jumps to 11 seconds, with the combined energy hitting 78. The swell is still only 1 ft from the ENE, but with clean conditions, you might snag a few small, tidy waves. Then on Wednesday the 2nd of September, the morning sees a moderate offshore wind from the NW and a slightly bigger 2 ft swell from the east with a 10-second period and energy of 60. It’s surfable, but very ordinary. These are the best on offer, but they’re really only for the patient, longboard-friendly surfer.

After that, it’s back to small and clean but weak, with nothing really building. The 7th of September shows a small bump in energy to 112, with a 3 ft swell from the NE and a 9-second period, but the wind is cross-shore, so it’s messy. The 8th of September has a 4 ft swell from the NE, but with only a 6-second period and poor conditions, it’s not going to be fun.

The 11th of September morning looks glassy with a 2 ft NE swell, which is a nice end to the run, but still tiny.

Overall, it’s a period of small, weak surf. The only real windows are the 1st and 2nd of September, but even then, you’re looking at knee-high waves. If you’re desperate for a paddle, those are your best bets, but don’t expect much. For the rest of the time, the beach setups might be more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer, given the lack of swell and the wind patterns.

Rusty.

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