Norries Head Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright mate, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what this 16-day stretch is serving up. The short answer is… not a whole lot. We’ve got a long gap of messy, windy, and onshore conditions to wade through before anything remotely worth paddling out for shows up. These early windows are for the die-hards only, or maybe just a long walk on the beach.

We kick off on Tuesday, August 11th at Norries Head (point). It’s inconsistent, which is a bit of a downer, and it rarely pumps. Tuesday morning we have a tiny 2ft of easterly swell, with a period of 9 seconds, coming in with weak energy (116). The water is sitting at 69°F, which is pretty average for this time of year. The wind is light offshore from the west, keeping it clean, but the waves are very ordinary. Crowds are often here, but with surf this small, it won’t be an issue. The afternoon turns to a light cross-on breeze and drops to 2ft – pretty much a write-off.

Wednesday the 12th is the only real glimmer in this first week. Morning glass-off with a solid offshore from the west, and a similar 2ft easterly swell. The wave energy is moderate (100). It’s clean, surfable, but still tiny and ordinary. This is the best of a bad bunch for the first week. If you’re a beginner with a foamie, this is your window. The afternoon sees the wind swing onshore again.

Then we hit a rough patch. From Thursday the 13th right through to Sunday the 16th, it’s a mess. Cross-shore and onshore winds, dropping swell heights, and poor surf conditions. Don’t bother.

Monday the 17th brings a pulse of energy, but with it, problems. Swell jumps to 6ft from the SE, with a short, weak 7-second period, and onshore wind from the SE. This is a classic “bigger but ugly” setup. The wave energy is strong (321), but the quality is terrible. By the afternoon, it’s 8ft with onshore winds at 16 mph. That’s getting too big for beginners and the wind will chop it to bits.

This messy, onshore pattern continues through the rest of the week and into the next. Tuesday the 18th through Thursday the 20th sees solid swell (6ft to 7ft) from the SE, with strong to very strong energy (up to 778), but the wind is always cross-on or onshore. It’s a kite-surfing setup, not a paddle-surfing one.

Now, for the one true standout in this whole outlook. You have to wait until Saturday, August 22nd. The afternoon session offers the best trade-off we’ve seen. It’s still not perfect, but it’s the pick of the litter. We’ve got a 5ft swell from the ESE, a moderate period of 8 seconds, and the wind finally backs off to a light cross-on breeze. The wave energy is strong (557). It’s marginal, the tide might be a factor, but the lighter wind will make it the most rideable day in this whole two-week slog.

Sunday the 23rd and Monday the 24th fade off again with onshore winds and dropping swell. By the 25th and 26th, we’re back to tiny, weak, and inconsistent conditions.

So, in short: this is a lean run for Norries Head. Don’t hold your breath for epic waves. The early mornings on Tuesday and Wednesday next week are your only real shots at clean, small waves. The bigger swells are all blown out. Be patient.

Rusty.

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