New Brighton Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, mate, Rusty here. Let's have a honest look at what's on offer for New Brighton Beach over the next couple of weeks. I've got to be straight with you – it's a pretty bleak run for the most part. The first real chance of anything surfable doesn't pop up until Tuesday, the 1st of September, and even then, it's nothing to write home about. The good news is that New Brighton is a fairly exposed spot, so when something does roll in, it can work. We just need a pulse of proper swell, and right now the long-range hints are, well, they're just hints.

The outlook starts with a couple of days of flat, clean conditions. Sunday and Monday, the 30th and 31st of August, are just poor. Tiny little slop, nothing moving. You're better off finding a rockpool.

Tuesday, the 1st of September, sees a small bump. The morning brings a 2ft swell from the SSE with a period of 12 seconds, and the wind is offshore from the SW. The combined energy is still weak at 96, but it's a start. It’s clean, but very ordinary. Not exactly going to be pumping, but it's the best we've seen in days. The afternoon goes cross-off and the swell drops a bit.

Wednesday the 2nd is the standout of this whole bleak period, and I mean that in a relative sense. The morning is a cracker. The wind goes glassy, which is a huge positive, and the swell jumps to 2ft from the SSE. The period stretches out to a very long 17 seconds, giving it that groundswell feel. The combined energy climbs to a moderate 261, so there's some real push behind it. For a beach break like New Brighton, that long period can make the waves a bit straight, but with no wind and clean conditions, you'll find a few decent ones. The afternoon holds in with a 2ft, 16-second swell from the SSE and a cross-off wind, still clean.

After Wednesday, it's back to the doldrums. Thursday the 3rd through Monday the 7th of September is a long, frustrating stretch. The swell drops, the wind swings onshore, and we get a mix of cross-chop and lumpy conditions. Sunday the 6th sees a spike in size to 4ft from the NNE, but it's accompanied by a strong, onshore wind that chops it all up. It's a classic case of ugly surf. If it were a beach-and-reef setup I'd say it looked more interesting for kite surfing, but as it stands, it's just a write-off for paddle surfing.

We get another small window on Tuesday the 8th of September with a clean 1ft from the ENE, but the energy is tiny. Then it’s more onshore junk through Wednesday the 9th.

The tail end of the run on Monday the 14th of September offers a glimmer. The morning shows a 0.6ft swell from the SSE with an 18-second period, pushing the combined energy to a moderate 56. The wind is light and cross-off, leaving it clean. It's tiny, but that long period means the sets could have some shape. It's the most promising thing in the second week, but it's a long way out, so take it with a grain of salt.

Overall, this is a dry spell. For a spot that can be inconsistent, a run this flat isn't out of the ordinary, but it stings. The best bet is to keep an eye on Wednesday the 2nd for a glassy, long-period SSE swell, and maybe that Monday the 14th if the long-range holds. Everything else is a miss.

Stay patient, stay salty. - Rusty.

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