North Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at what's coming down the pipe for North Beach. Gotta be straight with you, it's a bit of a frustrating stretch ahead. We've got a whole lot of nothing good on offer right now, with a long, dry spell kicking things off.

For the first few days, it’s pretty grim. Tuesday the 18th and Wednesday the 19th, the swell is either tiny, short period, or just plain messy with onshore junk. You wouldn't want to bother. There’s a sneaky bit of hope on Thursday morning the 20th, with a 7-foot S’ly swell rolling in, and the wind is a clean cross-offshore from the SSW. The period is short at 8 seconds though, so it'll be a bit fat and not hold great shape. The combined energy is a solid moderate 726, but it's still only a marginal call, so keep your expectations in check. After that, we’re back into poor, onshore conditions right through Saturday the 22nd.

Now, Sunday the 23rd of August is where things get interesting, but only if you're seriously experienced. We’ve got a massive 13-foot SSW groundswell hitting in the morning. The period is a very long 13 seconds, the wind is glassy offshore from the SSW, and the combined energy is an extreme 7327. This is powerful, heavy water. For 99% of surfers, this is a 'watch from the beach' day. The swell is too big for this break and dangerous. The afternoon drops to a still-sizeable 8-foot S’ly swell with a 15-second period and moderate cross-shore wind, so it stays big, powerful, and tricky.

Honestly, for the intermediate surfer, the absolute standout window is a long way off.

If you can wait, look at the end of the month. Friday the 28th of August shows some promise. The morning has a 4-foot S’ly groundswell (13-second period) with only a light 6 mph cross-on breeze from the SE. The combined energy is a solid moderate 577. It’s still a cross-on wind, but it’s so light it’ll be almost glassy. The afternoon gets even better, with the wind dropping to nearly nothing at 3 mph, keeping the 3-foot swell clean. This is your best bet for some fun, clean waves in the shoulder-high range. The lift in score there tells me the conditions are lining up.

Saturday the 30th also has some potential with a 7-foot S’ly swell and light cross-shore breezes, but the period is a short 8 seconds again, so it'll be a bit bumpy and less organised.

Overall, we’re looking at a tough two weeks. The first week is a write-off unless you're an expert chasing a massive, dangerous swell. The second week offers a couple of cleaner, smaller windows, with Friday the 28th being the pick for a decent, relaxed session. Hang in there.

- Rusty

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