Nirvana Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Grab a seat. The outlook for the local stretch here, centered on Nirvana Beach, is a tough one for us paddle surfers over the next couple of weeks. We've got one break on the map, and it's just not cooperating. The water temp is sitting at a balmy 82°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – feels nice on the skin, but it's not enough to save the waves.

Honestly, once you look past the first few days, there's a long, painful stretch of small, weak, and messy conditions. We're looking at a gap that really runs from the middle of this week all the way out towards the end of the month with barely anything to get excited about.

Starting out now, on Monday the 13th, it's a no-go. Swell is a tiny 2 ft with a short period of 6 seconds, coming from the WNW, and the wind is a messy cross-onshore. The combined swell energy is a weak 29, and the report pretty much says it all – poor surf. That theme just keeps rolling into Tuesday and Wednesday, with heights all sitting under 3 ft and the same short-period, cross-onshore junk.

We get a slight uptick in energy on Wednesday afternoon, with the combined energy hitting 104, but the wave height is only 3 ft and the period is short at 8 seconds. The wind stays cross-on, so it's still just a choppy mess.

The surf quality doesn't improve much through the rest of the week or the following week. The wave heights are just too small – mostly in the 2 ft to 2 ft range – and the period stays short. As we get towards the end of the month, around the 25th, there's a bit more size forecast, with the swell hitting 5 ft by Saturday afternoon, and the combined energy climbs to 238. But the wind is still onshore, the period is only 8 seconds, it's very inconsistent, and the annoying cross-onshore wind will make it a lumpy mess. This break is exposed to the west, and the optimum direction is W, so we get some of that swell, but the wind just kills it. For the small, weak surf we’re seeing, it’s just not worth paddling out. If the wind was offshore, it would be a different story, but it’s not.

So, what’s the best on offer? Honestly, there isn't one true standout. The closest we come is Saturday the 25th afternoon with that 5 ft swell, but with the onshore wind and short period, it’s going to be a real dog. If you’re a beginner, this entire period is a washout; even that 5 ft is pushing it for small-wave gear, and the conditions are awful. It's more of a day to check the surf report from the car park.

There's simply no good surf in the 16-day window. This is a blank run, and for this area, that’s not unusual when the swell direction doesn't match the wind. It’s a tough run, but forecasts can change. We'll see what next week brings.

Rusty.

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