North Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what the next couple of weeks are serving up for us at North Beach.

The outlook starts with a bit of a rough patch, but there’s a clear window of cleaner conditions later in the first week that’s worth pointing out. The water here is sitting at about 71°F, which is pretty much what you’d expect for this time of year. Overall, the energy levels are moderate to strong, so there’s plenty of push, it’s just a matter of the wind playing nice.

We kick things off on Wednesday, the 12th of August. Morning showers and a cross-on breeze from the SE are making things a bit choppy, with a 7ft swell from the ESE at a 9-second period. Not the best way to start. The afternoon stays messy with an 8ft SE swell. Honestly, this is a skip.

Thursday the 13th is where it gets interesting. Morning brings a shift to a light SSW wind, 3 mph, and it’s blowing cross-off. The swell drops to 6ft from the ESE, but the period is a short 8 seconds. The real story is the word "clean." The water should be looking good with that slight air. It’s not a massive swell, but the conditions are a big step up. The afternoon cleans up even more, but the swell drops to 4ft with an onshore breeze, so the morning is the clear window.

From Friday the 14th through to Sunday the 16th, it’s a write-off. The wind swings around to the NE and stays cross-on, blowing 9 to 16 mph. The swell is in the 5ft to 6ft range from the east, but it’s all messy and choppy. Not worth wetting a wetsuit for.

Monday the 17th is a bit of a tease. The morning has a 6ft ENE swell with a 10-second period and a light onshore breeze, leaving the conditions questionable. But the afternoon? Glassy. The wind drops to 3 mph from the NE and it’s dead calm. The swell is a clean 5ft from the east. That’s a good session, but the energy is only moderate. A solid option for a sunset cruise.

After that, the next week is a mixed bag. Tuesday the 18th and Wednesday the 19th are back to choppy cross-on slop. The only notable thing is Wednesday afternoon sees a 6ft S swell, but with a 16 mph cross-shore wind, it’s just a messy, choppy mess.

Thursday the 20th morning has a 7ft S swell with a 10-second period, and the wind is light onshore – marginal. The energy is getting stronger. But the afternoon is a hard no: 19 mph cross-on wind and a lumpy 7ft swell. That’s a miss.

Friday the 21st and Saturday the 22nd are mostly marginal. Friday afternoon has a 4ft S swell with a long 13-second period, and the wind is cross-off, so it’s clean, but the size is small. Saturday morning is similar, with a tiny 3ft S swell. The standout here is Saturday afternoon: an 8ft S swell with a 9-second period. The energy is strong. But the wind is a 16 mph cross-shore, so it’s going to be a lumpy, chop-infested wall. That’s expert territory and a rough paddle.

Sunday the 23rd morning is another one to watch. A 7ft S swell with a short 8-second period, and a light ENE onshore breeze makes it a marginal call. The energy is strong. The afternoon sees a 2ft SSW swell with a very long 16-second period – that’s a proper groundswell, but it’s tiny. A long period like that works best at a point or reef, but here it might just be a lot of waiting for a small wave.

The final stretch from the 24th to the 27th is mostly poor. Small swells, onshore winds, and choppy conditions. The best of a bad lot might be Wednesday the 26th morning, with a 7ft ENE swell and a light cross-on breeze, but it’s still a bit rippled.

The true standout for the whole outlook is Thursday morning, the 13th of August. Clean, cross-off wind, and a workable 6ft swell. The other clear win is Monday afternoon, the 17th of August, with glassy conditions and a waist-high wave. If you’re looking for a bigger, more powerful wave, Saturday afternoon the 22nd has the size, but be ready for a fight with the wind.

This is Rusty, signing off.

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