New Jetty Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let’s chew the fat on what’s coming up for New Jetty.

Honestly, looking at the next couple of weeks, it’s a bit of a flat spell for us. The first week and a half is pretty grim, with hardly anything worth paddling out for. You’re looking at a solid gap of quiet days with no real recommendations until we get closer to the end of the month. The water temp’s sitting at 71°F, which feels way warmer than usual for this time of year – a solid 5°F above average, so you might want a thinner spring suit.

Monday the 17th and Tuesday the 18th see small, weak swell, barely over 2ft, and it’s mostly onshore or cross-onshore. The energy is weak, registering only 247 and 238 (combined energy) respectively. The period is long – 14 to 16 seconds – which is a groundswell, but there’s just not enough height to do anything with it. Wednesday the 19th is similar, with 2ft SSW swell but onshore wind from the SSW at 3 mph to 9 mph. It’s clean-ish in the morning, but too small to get excited about. The rest of that week into the weekend is more of the same: tiny 1ft to 2ft slop, with a 13 to 19-second period that’s mostly for show. The cross-onshore breezes won’t help. By Sunday the 23rd, the energy picks up a notch to 194, but the swell stays under 2ft. Not worth a session.

The beginning of the second week, starting Monday the 24th, is still marginal. Swell direction hangs in the SW, periods are long (17-19 seconds), but the height is only 1ft to 2ft. The wind is still mostly cross-onshore or onshore, and the combined energy is moderate but the waves are just too gutless. Tuesday the 25th morning has some clouds and light onshore wind, with 2ft SSW swell and a period of 16 seconds. It’s the same story through Wednesday and Thursday – tiny waves, poor conditions, and a "marginal" tag.

Now, the one standout window starts to show up around Friday the 28th of August, but it’s really Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th that have my attention. Saturday morning we see a bump in swell to 3ft from the SSW, period 18 seconds, with a cross-onshore breeze from the SSE at 6 mph. The combined energy jumps to 511 – that’s moderate to strong energy. The afternoon builds to 3ft at the same 18 seconds, and the energy hits 619. The wind shifts to onshore from the WSW at 6 mph. It’s not perfect, but for this stretch, it’s the best we’ve got. Sunday the 30th holds steady with 3ft SSW swells and 16-second periods, with a morning cross-onshore breeze. The energy stays in the 510-519 range. These are still marginal conditions with a score of 2 out of 10, but it’s the only time all period where the swell height and energy combine to give you something rideable. The wind isn’t ideal, but it’s light and manageable.

The following Monday the 31st drops back to 3ft with 14-second period, and the energy falls to 382. The wind is onshore again. After that, it fades fast into the first days of September with 2ft leftovers.

For my pick of the fortnight, it’s Saturday the 29th of August at New Jetty. The 3ft SSW swell with that 18-second period has some push, and the light breeze at 6 mph means it won’t be too chopped up. The crowds are listed as "sometimes," so you might have some company, but nothing crazy. It’s the only time the swell breaks the 3ft mark and the energy is strong. Just remember, with that long period, the sets will be spaced out and it might not wall up perfectly on a beach/jetty setup, but it’s the best chance for a wave this side of September.

Stay patient, keep an eye on that end of August window, and don’t bother paddling out until then.

Rusty.

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