Norman Bay (Wilsons Promontory) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here. Look, I've got to be straight with you – this stretch for Norman Bay (Wilsons Promontory) is a tough one. We're looking at a real dry spell, with a whole lot of nothing happening for the first week. The water temp is sitting at 56°, which is pretty standard for the time of year, no major surprises there.

The short story is, we don't get our first real chance until early on Tuesday the 25th of August. Before that, it's a write-off. From Wednesday the 19th right through to Monday the 24th, we've got poor surf conditions with moderate to fresh onshore winds, lumpy, choppy water, and even some solid swell energy that's just getting trashed by the wind. That morning of the 22nd, we see a big 5 ft SW groundswell with a very long 15-second period and combined energy hitting 1046 – sounds promising, but it's blown out by a fresh 19 mph westerly onshore wind. The afternoon pushes that energy up to 1911, but it's the same story. It's a kite surfer's dream, not a paddle surfer's.

Tuesday the 25th is our first real glimmer. The morning sees a cross-offshore breeze from the SE at 9 mph, cleaning up a 3 ft SW swell with a 13-second period. The combined energy is weak at 272, but it's clean. It's a beginner-friendly size, but it's inconsistent here, so don't expect a lot of waves. The afternoon is cleaner but the swell drops, and the energy is down to 225.

Then we hit another rough patch. Wednesday the 26th and Thursday the 27th are messy again with onshore winds and lumpy conditions. There's a big 7 ft swell from the WSW on Friday the 28th with a very long 18-second period and massive combined energy of 2828, but the wind is a moderate cross-onshore, making it a choppy, expert-only zone. The afternoon sees a better chance with a light breeze, but it's still marginal.

Now, the standout. If you can wait, Saturday the 29th of August is the best we've got. The morning is clean with a 5 ft SW groundswell (14-second period), combined energy of 1183, and a light cross-offshore breeze from the ENE at 6 mph. The afternoon is even better – glassy offshore winds from the E at 9 mph, dropping the swell slightly to 5 ft but keeping it clean. This is a solid, surfable size for most, and the wind is perfect. It's a bit of a long-range hopeful, but it's the real deal.

After that, we ease into the first week of September with smaller, cleaner days. The 31st of August and the 1st of September offer tiny 2 ft swells, but with glassy or offshore winds, making for some fun, beginner-friendly waves. The 2nd and 3rd of September are similar – small, clean, but not much power.

So, in short: the first week is a washout. Hang tight for the 25th for a small, clean session, but the real prize is Saturday the 29th. Keep an eye on the long-range, but it's looking promising.

Rusty.

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