Narrabeen-Alley Rights Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here. Look, I've been staring at the charts for Narrabeen-Alley Rights, and I gotta be straight with you – it's a pretty bleak stretch ahead. This is a beach/sandbar set-up that's exposed to the swell, but we're looking at a long, long run of tiny or ordinary waves. The water temp's sitting at 64°F, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing weird going on there.

We kick off on Tuesday the 4th of August with a dead-flat 0.7ft from the SSE. It's glassy with no wind, but there's just nothing to ride. The combined energy is a weak 17, so you're better off staying home.

Wednesday the 5th and Thursday the 6th are more of the same – tiny 1ft to 1ft wedges from the east with cross-off winds. It's clean, but the wave energy is pathetic (between 19 and 44). You'd be straining for a knee-high dribble.

Friday the 7th through to Sunday the 9th sees a slight bump to 2ft-2ft, but it's still poor. The energy starts to build a bit, hitting 132 on Sunday afternoon, but that comes with a fresh 16 mph northerly wind that kills any chance of a decent wave. The swell is short-period (9 seconds) and from the ENE, which doesn't suit this break's optimum ENE direction anyway. It's just not happening.

Monday the 10th through to Thursday the 13th stays in the "ordinary" zone. Swell hangs around 2ft to 4ft, but the energy is still low to moderate (34 to 233). There's a moment on Wednesday the 12th afternoon when it goes glassy with 2ft, but it's so weak (77 energy) you'd be lucky to find a rideable face. Crowds are "often" here, but honestly, not a worry right now.

Friday the 14th is another write-off with 0.7ft.

Now, the first week of the outlook is a total bust, but there's a glimmer way out there. We have a gap of several days with nothing worth paddling for, until we hit Monday the 17th of August. That morning, we get a 5ft SE swell, a period of only 5 seconds, and light offshore WNW wind. The energy is moderate (117), and it's described as "surfable but very ordinary." The period is so short that the waves will be crumbly and weak – not worth getting excited about.

However, the one true standout in this whole 16-day window is Wednesday the 19th of August. That morning, we see a solid 7ft swell from the SE with a period of 10 seconds, and it's backed by a very strong combined energy of 872. The wind is light offshore from the NNW, meaning clean, groomed faces. This is a size that'll push through into the 8ft range for experts – it's too much for beginners, but for the advanced crew, this is the only session that looks genuinely good. The swell is a groundswell, and for a beach break like this, the long period (10 sec) can make it a bit straight, but the offshore wind will help. This is the pick of the fortnight, but it's a long way off, so treat it as promising but not locked in. After that, Wednesday afternoon drops to 7ft and goes cross-shore, so the morning is your window.

So, bottom line: don't bother for the first two weeks. Clear your calendar for Wednesday the 19th of August morning if you're an experienced surfer and can handle a solid 7ft SE swell. That's the only shot here.

Rusty.

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