Nobbys Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s call it like it is—this outlook is about as exciting as watching paint dry. We’ve got a long, flat, and messy run ahead. The only real blip of hope is on Wednesday the 26th, and even that one’s got its own issues. Before that, you’re looking at knee-high slop and onshore chop. Don’t even bother waxing up for the weekend.

The first few days are a total write-off. Thursday the 20th has a weak 2ft ENE swell, but it’s cross-shore and bumpy, with no push behind it. Friday the 21st is clean but tiny—2ft at best, and the energy is basically nothing. Saturday the 22nd is just sad, with 0.7ft waves and zero power. Sunday the 23rd bumps up slightly to 2-3ft from the south, but the wind goes onshore and it turns to crumble. The start of next week, Monday the 24th and Tuesday the 25th, is slightly cleaner with a light offshore breeze on Tuesday morning, but the waves are still under 3ft and weak. It’s not surf, it’s just moving water.

Now, the one standout in this whole famine is Wednesday the 26th. The swell jumps to 8ft overnight, with the energy meter going deep into the red (948). It’s a south swell, but it’s got a short period of 8 seconds—wind swell, so it’ll have some punch but won’t be the cleanest lines. The wind is offshore and fresh from the WNW at 30 km/h, which will keep the faces tidy and the take-offs steep. This is the biggest and most powerful day of the whole run. But at 8ft plus, this is for experienced surfers only—leave the foam boards at home. It’ll be a proper handful, and with that short period, it could be a bit lumpy or dumpy. There’s also a chance of light rain in the afternoon. Still, if you’re an advanced surfer and you want the only real wave of the fortnight, this is your window. The swell drops back to 3ft on Thursday the 27th, and the energy fades out after that.

After the 26th, it’s back to small, weak, and inconsistent. The end of August and the first days of September are all under 3ft, with the energy rarely getting above 200. The 30th and 31st have south swells with longer periods (16s and 13s), but the wind is onshore and cross-onshore, making it a mess. The 1st of September is glassy in the morning, but it’s only 2ft and weak. The 2nd is slightly better but still tiny, and by the 3rd and 4th, there’s a touch of offshore wind but the swell is barely ankle-snapper at 1ft.

So, the long and the short of it is: don’t look at the cams for the next ten days. Wait for Wednesday the 26th. That’s your shot. Everything else is a whole lot of nothing. There’s a better pulse due in the second week, but it’s a long-range call and the models are only half-sure on that one. Keep it in the back of your mind, but don’t book the week off for it.

Until next time, I’m Rusty. Stay patient.

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