New Jetty/South Jetty Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what New Jetty/South Jetty has in store for us over the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with you, this is going to be a real test of patience. The water's sitting at a very unusual 70°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, but that's about the only exciting news for a while.

We are looking at a long, quiet stretch kicking off on Friday the 21st of August. The swell is tiny, just 1ft, coming from the SSW with a long period of 13 seconds. The energy is weak (57), the wind is a light cross-onshore from the WSW, and the data is calling it poor surf conditions. This pattern of tiny, cross-onshore slop is going to drag on for days. The 22nd and 23rd are much the same story, just flat, messy leftovers. The energy finally creeps into moderate territory (103) on the 22nd afternoon, but the wind picks up too, chopping it all up. Basically, from the start all the way through Tuesday the 25th, you'd be wasting your time.

Now, Wednesday the 26th of August shows a pulse of life. The swell bumps up to about 3ft from the S, still a long 15 second period, and the energy jumps right up to a solid moderate 437. The wind goes light offshore from the WSW in the morning and nearly glassy in the afternoon. This is the first real standout. It's still described as marginal, but for a break that's been flat, a clean, offshore morning with a bit of push is worth a look. This is a beginner spot, and 3ft is perfect for getting some practice in.

The next few days after that, from Thursday the 27th through to the end of the month, sees the swell dropping back again to 2ft. The energy stays moderate, but the wind is a constant onshore or cross-onshore, making it pretty average. The 28th of August has a very long period swell of 19 seconds, which is great for power but can make a beach break like this a bit straight and tricky.

We finally see another notable change rolling in around the 1st of September. The swell direction swings to the W, but the period drops into the short range (8-9 seconds) which is weak and choppy. The 31st of August afternoon even shows a 5ft W swell, but with a period of just 6 seconds, it's going to be a bumpy mess. The energy is moderate, but that's no consolation.

The real highlight, or what passes for one, looks like the morning of the 4th of September. We get a 3ft S swell, a long 16-second period, and the energy reaches a strong 548. The wind is offshore from the SW. It's still only a marginal call, but that's the best on offer in the whole 16-day run. It's over two weeks away, so don't book the day off yet, but it's the one to watch.

The 5th of September finishes the period with a similar 3ft S swell and moderate energy, but the wind goes cross-onshore again in the afternoon, spoiling it.

So, to wrap it up: the first week is almost a complete write-off. The 26th of August is your only early shot at something clean, but it's small. The 4th of September is the distant promise. Don't get your hopes up, but check back closer to the date.

Rusty.

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