Newcombs Hollow Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s be straight with each other. I’ve had a good look at what’s on the table for Newcombs Hollow over the next couple of weeks, and I’ll tell you now—it’s pretty grim. We’re looking at a full 16-day stretch with nothing that’s worth paddling out for. Not one session cracks more than a zero score from the finder. That’s tough, but when a spot is this exposed and the swell just won’t line up, it happens.

Right from Saturday morning the 15th of August, it’s flat and messy. Swell is a tiny 2 ft from the north with a period of only 4 seconds—that’s pure wind chop, no push behind it. The wind is cross-off from the NNW at 15 km/h, which would usually be nice, but with that little amount of energy, there’s just nothing to ride.

That sets the tone. We go through Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday—tiny waves, all under 3 ft, with short periods and poor winds. On Monday the 17th, the swell bumps up to 5 ft from the south, and the energy hits moderate, but the wind is a strong cross-onshore from the SSE at 40 km/h. That’s just blown-out, messy, and unrideable for a normal surfer. If you’re into kites, maybe you’d have a look, but for paddle surfing, it’s a no-go.

The whole first week is a washout. Swell direction is all over the place, periods rarely get above 7 seconds, and when the energy does pick up, the wind ruins it. By Wednesday the 20th and Thursday the 21st, we get some clean conditions with offshore or cross-off winds, but the swell has dropped back to 1 ft or 2 ft—not even enough to stand up on.

Going into the second week, it doesn’t get better. From the 23rd of August onward, we see a long-period swell showing up—12 seconds on the Sunday, then 11 seconds through Tuesday and Wednesday. That sounds promising, but the swell height is tiny, 0.7 ft to 1 ft. Long period with no height just means a big lull between barely-there waves. The combined energy stays weak. Glassy conditions on the morning of Wednesday the 26th of August (1 ft, 11 seconds, no wind) would be beautiful if there was any real swell, but there just isn’t.

Nothing changes through to the end of the month. The 29th and 30th serve up some cross-off winds and clean surfaces, but the swell is still under 3 ft—2 ft and 3 ft from the north/northeast with short 4- or 5-second periods. Energy is low, waves are weak.

So, bottom line: this is a blank run. No standouts, not one session worth getting excited about. For Newcombs Hollow, this kind of flat, inconsistent stretch is more normal than you’d hope. Forecasts can change, but for now, leave the board in the car and go do something else.

Rusty.

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