North Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Looking at the next sixteen days, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. The beginning is a write-off for decent waves, but there’s a proper pulse of energy lined up for the final few days. You’ll have to be patient. Let’s break it down.

The first real chance of anything surfable appears on Thursday morning, August 20th, at North Beach. We’re looking at a 7 ft swell from the south, with a period of 9 seconds. The wind is a cross-off from the SSW at 19 mph, which should keep it reasonably clean. The combined wave energy is moderate (769). Still, the conditions are pretty ordinary, not a standout, so hold fire.

Friday morning August 21st sees a long-period south swell roll in at 5 ft, with a period of 14 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell, giving good shape, but the wind is a stiff cross-onshore from the NE at 16 mph, making for a choppy mess (735 energy). Not worth paddling out for.

The first real glimmer comes later. On Saturday afternoon, August 22nd, we get a 7 ft south swell, 8-second period, with a clean cross-off wind from the SSW at 19 mph. The energy is moderate (501). Wait, the report calls it marginal – so still not the pick.

Sunday morning, August 23rd: a nice long-period south groundswell at 4 ft, period 14 seconds, with almost no wind – just a slight cross-on from the SE at 3 mph. That light breeze means clean, glassy lines. The energy is moderate (592). This is the best session of the first week. North Beach will be clean, with friendly, well-shaped waves. It’s a fairly consistent spot, and crowds are possible. Water temp is around 70°, which is about average for this time of year.

Then we hit a long flat spell. From Monday August 24th right through to Saturday August 29th, the surf is either too small, too messy, or blown out. The wind is mostly cross-onshore and the swell heights drop below 3 ft. There’s nothing worthwhile.

Now, the standout. The action kicks off again on Sunday, August 30th. The afternoon brings a 10 ft south swell, period 9 seconds, with a light cross-on from the SSE at 9 mph. The combined energy jumps to very strong (1643). The report says the swell is too big for this break, so unless you’re an expert, stay out of the water. That same pulse continues into Monday, August 31st: a huge 12 ft swell from the SSW, 13-second period, and a clean cross-off wind from the SSW at 22 mph. That’s massive, high-energy surf (6332), only for the brave and experienced. The afternoon still has an 8 ft south swell, period 12 seconds, with clean cross-off wind (1938 energy).

Tuesday, September 1st, is the real highlight for most. Morning brings a 7 ft south groundswell, long period of 16 seconds, with almost nothing for wind (3 mph from the SSE). The energy is very strong (2011). This is the one. Clean, powerful, long-period groundswell off a dead-calm sea – that’s as good as it gets. North Beach will see well-shaped, clean sets. The long period means it’ll break more consistently, with longer lulls between sets, making paddling out easier. This is a true standout session. Just be aware that long-period south swells can sometimes straighten out a bit on beach breaks, but with such light wind, it’ll be a treat.

So, bottom line: the first week is mostly forgettable until Sunday the 23rd for a clean little session, then a big gap of nothing. The last days from August 30th to September 1st pack a serious punch, with the Tuesday morning September 1st being the absolute pick of the forecast. Keep an eye on that one.

Stay stoked.

Rusty.

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