New Brighton Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here. Let's talk about what's brewing for New Brighton Beach over the next few weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be honest: it's a quiet stretch. There's not much surf on the cards, and for long spells, you're better off staying home. We’re talking multi-day gaps with nothing rideable. The first sign of life doesn't show up until Friday, August 28, and even then, it's not a classic.

Let's run through it. Tuesday, August 25, is a total dud—tiny, onshore winds, combined energy of just 39. Wednesday is the same story with no swell and cross-breezes. On the 27th of August, we get a weird one: onshore winds and a bit of chop, but the swell period jumps way up over 16 seconds and energy hits 136. That's a long-period groundswell, but the wind will ruin it. Not worth the paddle.

Then we get to Friday, August 28. This is the highlight of the whole outlook. On Friday morning, there's a 1.6m swell (about 5 feet) from the NE with a period of 8 seconds and combined energy of 332—that's moderate to strong for this beach. The wind is cross-onshore from the NNE, making it lumpy, but it’s the only day with any real size. Friday afternoon cleans up as the wind goes cross-off from the NW, swell dropping to 1.1m (about 4 feet). This is the best window. The swell direction (NE) isn't a perfect match for New Brighton's optimum (ENE), but it's close enough to get some fun peaks.

After that, it's flat again. Saturday and Sunday (August 29 & 30) are tiny and wind-affected. Monday, September 1, and Tuesday, September 2, see small, weak swell with onshore or cross-off breezes. The water temp is about 50°F, which is a touch warmer than average for this time of year, so you'll still want a good wetsuit.

The second week is more of the same. September 3 offers a 1.0m (3ft) NNE swell with a very short 4-second period, but the wind goes light offshore from the west, and it's clean. That's a close second option for the whole run. The best of the rest is on September 5 (Saturday), with glassy conditions and a tiny 0.4 to 0.5m (1 to 2ft) SE swell. It’s small, but clean.

Finally, on Tuesday, September 8, we get a little bump: 0.4m (1ft) swell from the SSE, clean and offshore. It’s the only time the conditions are described as "surfable waves" (score of 1/10). Even then, the energy is just 64.

Look, there’s no pumping days in this run. If you’re dead keen, Friday, August 28, is your best shot, and maybe the clean tiny waves on September 5. Otherwise, it’s a long wait. The momentum is low, but forecasts can change, so keep the faith.

Stay patient.

Rusty.

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