Narrabeen-North Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. I’ve had a good look at the charts for Narrabeen-North and I won’t sugar-coat it – the next 16 days are a real mixed bag. We’ve got a long stretch of nothing much to start with, and that’s when it gets a little frustrating. The water temp is sitting at 63°, which is 2° cooler than average for this time of year, so nothing too unusual, just a touch on the fresh side.

The first bit of surf we see is this morning, Wednesday the 12th of August. There’s a tiny 2ft ENE swell pushing in with a short 10-second period. The combined wave energy is weak, just 52, and while the wind is a gentle cross-off from the west at 9 mph, it’s not enough to make this feel exciting. Let’s be honest, it’s surfable but very ordinary – a 1 out of 10 sort of morning. The afternoon is much the same, still that little 2ft ENE swell but with a WSW cross-off at 9 mph. It’s clean but gutless.

From Thursday the 13th right through to Tuesday the 18th of August, things go dead. We’re looking at a solid run of poor surf conditions with scores of 0. The swell drops right off to 1.0ft to 2ft at times, with onshore winds becoming a problem – the only real notable day in that batch is Sunday the 16th when a 5ft SSE swell shows up, but it’s got a horribly short period of 6 seconds and the wind is onshore. The combined energy jumps to 222, but the quality is zero. That swell is junk for a beach/sandbar setup like this, and with strong onshore winds, it’s more of a kite-surfing wind than something to paddle out in. Monday the 17th offers a similar story – a 6ft ESE swell with a 7-second period and onshore winds just keeps things ugly.

We finally see some relief on Wednesday the 19th of August. The morning brings a 4ft ESE swell, still a short 7-second period, but here’s the good news – glassy conditions with a 3 mph SSW wind. That’s the first real clean window we get, and the combined wave energy is a moderate 139. It’s a “surfable but very ordinary” call, so keep expectations in check, but at least it’s glassy. That’s the only real highlight in the first week.

Then, starting Friday the 21st of August, things start to look a bit more promising. The afternoon is when it first really catches my eye – a 4ft ENE swell with a 10-second period, and the wind goes glassy from the SSW at 3 mph. The combined energy jumps to a strong 316, and for the first time, we get a score of 2 out of 10, which is described as “expect good surf conditions.” That’s the standout of the whole run. The swell direction (ENE) matches the optimum for Narrabeen-North, the period is decent for a point or reef, but remember this is a beach/sandbar so that longer period might make it a little straight. Still, for a beach break, that glassy wind is magic.

Saturday the 22nd of August morning keeps the good vibes with offshore WNW winds at 6 mph and a 3ft ENE swell, combined energy of 200, and another “expect good surf conditions” rating. Sunday the 23rd and Monday the 24th also have some decent windows with offshore to cross-off winds, solid 3–4ft ENE swell, and periods of 10 to 11 seconds. The combined energy sits in the 200s, which is solid moderate to strong energy. The best call of the later part of the run is Monday the 24th morning – 3ft ENE swell, 11-second period, light offshore wind from the west at 6 mph, and energy of 247. That’s another proper clean session.

After that, Tuesday the 25th through Thursday the 27th of August is a fade-out back into tiny, weak swells and poor surf. The wind stays offshore or cross-off, but the swell drops to 1–3ft and the energy fizzles out to between 27 and 151, with the last few days scoring a 0.

So here’s the deal: the best on offer is Friday afternoon the 21st of August and Monday morning the 24th of August. Friday arvo has the glassy wind and a proper 4ft ENE swell, while Monday morning gives you a clean offshore breeze with a long 11-second period. Both are clean and have good energy. Earlier in the run, Wednesday the 19th morning is a small, glassy session, but the swell is tiny. For the rest, you’re looking at a lot of poor conditions, especially the first five days. Narrabeen-North (Sydney) can be crowded often, so expect some company if you score those windows.

Rusty.

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