Narrabeen-South Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s break it down. The next couple of weeks are a mixed bag – a few clean windows, but plenty of flat or blown-out junk in between. The first real call is this Saturday morning, so don’t hold your breath before that.

Saturday morning (August 15) is our first genuine look. Narrabeen-South is the spot. We’ve got a 3.9ft south swell, with a 9-second period – not huge, but there’s a bit of push. The wind is light offshore from the SSW, so it’s going to be clean, proper clean. The water’s at 62.1°F, which is a bit colder than usual for this time of year, about 2.3°F off the mark. That’s noticeable on the walk out, but worth it for the surf. The combined swell energy is 313 – moderate, but the quality is there. This is the pick of the early stretch. The south swell direction matches the optimum for this bank, so expect some nice lines. Crowds can be an issue here, especially on a Saturday morning, so get in early.

Saturday afternoon, the swell bumps to 5.2ft but the wind swings cross-off from the SSE and the period drops to 8 seconds. Not terrible, but the tide and the push make it a bit scrappy. I’d call that marginal at best.

Sunday morning (August 16) is flat. 1.6ft of south swell with a 17-second period – that’s a long-period groundswell, but there’s just not enough size. The cross-shore SE wind will chop what little there is. Not worth the look. Sunday afternoon sees a slight bump to 3.6ft but the period tanks to 7 seconds and it’s cross-shore, so it’s poor.

Monday (August 17) is a write-off. Small, cross-onshore, and choppy. Same with Tuesday (August 18) – the swell drops to 2.0ft, then 1.3ft, with poor wind. That’s a solid stretch of nothing, about three days of flat or messy conditions.

Wednesday morning (August 19) pops up again. 3.9ft of ESE swell, 7-second period, but the wind is offshore from the W – light, 3 mph. That makes it clean, and the energy reading is 241, which is moderate. It’s a short-period swell, so it won’t be super powerful, but the surface will be smooth and it’s a decent little session before the wind turns onshore in the arvo. Wednesday afternoon is done – NE wind straight onshore.

Thursday (August 20) and Friday (August 21) are poor. Swell drops below 3ft, wind gets messy, and the energy weakens to under 100. Not worth the paddle.

Saturday afternoon (August 22) is interesting, but not for the right reasons. The swell jumps to 6.6ft from the S, but the period is only 7 seconds and the wind is a fresh S cross-off at 22 mph. It’s clean, but that’s a short-period, stormy swell – lumpy and closed out. The energy is 430, so there’s push, but it’s more of a washing machine than a wave pool. For a beach break like this, it’s looking more like a kite-surfing day than a paddle-surfing day.

Sunday morning (August 23) is a return to form. 3.6ft of south swell, 8-second period, light WSW cross-off wind at 6 mph. Clean, easy, and surfable. Energy is 261 – moderate. This is a solid morning, not a standout but a good tune-up. The afternoon brings onshore ENE wind, so get your fill early.

The middle of the week – Monday and Tuesday (August 24-25) – has a bit on offer. Monday morning is 2.6ft with a light W cross-off, clean but small. Tuesday morning is the better bet: swell jumps to 6.9ft from the SSE, period is 7 seconds, and the wind is a light SSE cross-off at 9 mph. That’s clean, and the energy is 421, which is strong. But that short period means it will be a bit wild. It’s rideable, but you’ll need your wits about you.

Then Wednesday through Friday (August 26-28) gets messy. Onshore winds, swell climbing to 7.9ft and then 9.8ft by Thursday. That’s big, blown-out, and only for experts. Energy readings are high – 848, 890, even 1772 – but with the onshore wind and short periods, it’s not good surf. It’s a lot of water moving, but it’s ugly.

Saturday and Sunday (August 29-30)

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