New Brighton Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. We’ve got a bit of a mixed bag coming up for New Brighton Beach over the next couple of weeks. Don’t get too excited early on – it’s mostly a waiting game for the first few days, with the real action kicking off in the second week. Let’s break it down.

The first surf worth paddling out for doesn’t show up until Sunday morning, the 9th of August. It’s a messy one, though. Swell jumps to 7 ft from the NE, but the period is a short, crumbly 7 seconds, so the energy is all over the place (moderate energy at 570). The wind is a light cross-shore, making it a bit of a handful. This one’s more for the experienced crew – over 8 ft it’d be a no-go for beginners, but at 7 ft it’s still a bit much for learners. The afternoon cleans up with offshore wind from the west, dropping to 3 ft from the ENE, but still a short period. It’s ordinary, but ridable.

The next few days are pretty flat. Monday the 10th offers tiny 1 ft to 2 ft SE swell with offshore wind, but the energy is weak (39 to 67), and the waves are just too small to get excited about. Tuesday and Wednesday (11th, 12th) are a write-off – onshore winds and poor conditions. Wednesday morning sees a spike to 7 ft from the ENE again, but it’s cross-onshore and short period, making for a real battle.

Thursday the 13th morning is a standout moment – glassy conditions with offshore wind, 3 ft ENE swell at 8 seconds, and clean faces. The energy is moderate (105). It’s surfable waves, but nothing to write home about. Friday the 14th offers consistent offshore wind from the SW all day, with 3 ft to 3 ft ENE swell. It’s clean, but still ordinary.

Now, here’s the good stuff. Saturday the 15th of August is the best on offer across the whole outlook. Morning and afternoon both glassy, with 4 ft to 4 ft ENE swell coming in at a very nice 10 to 11 seconds. The energy is solid (350 to 281). The water here is about 49°F, which is spot on for this time of year – no surprises there. The swell direction lines up perfectly with the optimum ENE direction for New Brighton Beach. This is clean, lined-up, and consistent. Crowds can be a thing here sometimes, but with conditions like this, it’s worth sharing the lineup.

Sunday the 16th is a step down – light rain, moderate cross-off wind, and small 2 ft E swell. It’s clean but weak.

Then, get ready for the second week highlight. Monday the 17th of August through to Tuesday the 18th sees a new long-period groundswell from the SSE, with a period of 16 seconds – very long and powerful. Swell heights are 2 ft to 3 ft, but the energy is strong (233 to 443). Monday afternoon turns on with offshore SW wind and clean conditions, and Tuesday is all-day offshore with glassy or clean faces. This is a groundswell, so expect longer gaps between sets, but the waves will have real shape. It’s best for the point and reef setups, but at New Brighton Beach, it’ll still offer some fun lines. The energy is moderate to strong, and the wind is perfect.

Wednesday the 19th gets a bit blowy with a fresh breeze onshore, killing the quality. Thursday the 20th and Friday the 21st are smaller, with offshore wind and clean conditions, but the swell drops off to 2 ft to 3 ft from the SE. Saturday the 22nd is a washout – tiny 0.7 ft to 1.0 ft and onshore wind.

Overall, the standout is clearly Saturday the 15th for the combination of glassy wind, solid ENE swell, and good energy. The second-best is the Monday-Tuesday (17th-18th) window with the long-period SSE groundswell and offshore winds. The rest of the period is small, clean, and ordinary, but there’s enough to keep you wet if you’re patient.

Rusty.

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