Noises Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, this is Rusty. Right, let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Noises. It’s a heavy, exposed reef that takes a solid SW groundswell, but it’s a beast and only for the most experienced crew. The water is sitting at 68°F, which is much warmer than usual for this time of year – a proper anomaly of 5°F, so it feels like a bath out there.

The pattern for the next couple of weeks is pretty grim to start. We’ve got a massive, pulsing SW groundswell arriving from Friday the 7th of August, but it’s accompanied by strong to near-gale onshore winds, so the whole weekend is a write-off. The swell energy is insane, hitting 19,056 to 24,772, but with cross-onshore winds and 21ft to 23ft faces, it’s just too big and messy for any sane paddle session. It’s more of a kite-surfing setup than a surfer’s one.

That big energy hangs around into Monday and Tuesday, but the wind stays howling from the SW and SSW, keeping it blown out. The water temp anomaly is only given for the first record, so from there on, just know it’s that same warm pool.

The first real glimmer of hope comes mid-week. Wednesday the 12th of August through Thursday the 13th, the swell drops back to 15ft, still a solid SW groundswell, and the wind backs off to a moderate to gentle breeze. It’s still cross-onshore on Wednesday morning, but by Thursday afternoon we get clean conditions with a W wind at 9 mph and a 17-second period. The energy is still high (11,754), but it’s on the edge of being manageable for the crew who know the reef. Those sessions are marginal, but the best we’ve seen in days.

Then we hit a lull. From Friday the 14th through to Sunday the 16th, the wind turns NW and N, bringing cross-shore and cross-onshore conditions. The swell drops to 10ft–18ft, but the quality is poor, with a fresh breeze and lumpy cross-chop. Not worth the paddle.

Monday the 17th of August sees a bit of a resurgence – a 16ft WSW swell with a 17-second period, and the wind is cross from the N at 16 mph. It’s marginal but clean enough for a few. The energy is strong at 14,371. Then Tuesday the 18th gets blown out again with near-gale SW winds.

Now, here’s the standout. Saturday the 22nd of August. This is the one. We get a 13ft SW groundswell with a long 16-second period, and the wind goes offshore from the E, starting at 12 mph on the morning and dropping to a gentle 9 mph by the afternoon. The conditions are described as exceptional for expert surfers – clean, gentle offshore, and the reef will be holding that long-period swell beautifully. The energy is moderate at 11,631 for the afternoon session. This is the pick of the whole outlook. It’s a long way off, so keep an eye on it, but if it holds, it’ll be magic. The crowds at Noises can be a problem sometimes, but on a Saturday with a solid SW swell and offshore wind, expect a few other salty dogs out there.

Overall, the first week is a washout with too much wind and size. The second week has a few marginal windows, but the clear winner is Saturday the 22nd.

Rusty.

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