Newport - The Peak Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Newport – The Peak.

Honestly, we’re staring down the barrel of a pretty slow start. The first week is looking slim, with only small, weak waves and a lot of average to poor conditions. The real action, the kind that gets you out of bed, doesn’t kick in until the second week. There’s a gap of about five days of nothing exciting before the pulse arrives.

We start off Tuesday the 4th of August with glassy conditions but next to no swell – just 1ft from the SSW. The combined energy is a measly (26), so it’s a flat day for the pool. Wednesday and Thursday stay small with ordinary surf. The first hint of something surfable shows up on Thursday morning the 6th of August with 3ft of S swell at 8 seconds, but it’s just “surfable waves” with a light cross-off wind. The energy is still weak (132). That pattern holds through the weekend – small, clean, but nothing to write home about.

Now, Monday morning the 10th of August, we get a little bump with 4ft from the ENE and a solid offshore wind from the WNW. The energy picks up to 238, but it’s still a marginal call. That wind is good though, and it’ll make the most of what’s there.

The standout window, and the one you really want to circle, is the middle of the second week. Wednesday afternoon the 12th of August, the swell jumps to 5ft from the SSW, period drops to 7 seconds, but the wind goes glassy. The energy is moderate (301), and it’s described as “good surf conditions.” That’s a nice little session.

But the real main event is Thursday the 13th of August. Thursday morning, we’ve got 6ft of S swell, an offshore wind, and a very strong energy reading of 540. That’s excellent. The afternoon gets bigger – 10ft from the S with a long period of 11 seconds, energy at 2061. This is groundswell, and it’s powerful. That’s expert-only surf, and it’s a bit of a scratch with a light cross-onshore wind, but the morning session is the pick. Friday the 14th of August morning is also a cracker – 8ft S swell, period 10 seconds, clean with a light breeze, and energy at 1506. That’s excellent for experienced surfers.

Water temp is sitting at 18°C, which is about average for the time of year given the anomaly is -0.2°C. That’s normal for the Peak.

The break itself is a reef set-up, so those longer period swells from the SSE and S will find the right line, but it’s exposed and can get crowded (often people out there). The optimum swell direction is from the SE, which matches up nicely with the big pulses we see later in the run.

Beyond that, we get a final pulse on Wednesday the 19th of August morning – 7ft from the SE, period 10 seconds, a light cross-off wind, and energy at 877. That’s very good conditions again, but by the afternoon the wind turns onshore.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a write-off unless you’re desperate for a paddle. The real go is Thursday the 13th of August morning, and Friday the 14th of August morning. Those are the standouts. The Wednesday the 19th of August morning is also a solid option. Make sure you’re on it early.

Rusty.

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