North Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at the North Beach forecast... and honestly, mate, it’s a bit of a mixed bag for the next 16 days.

The overall pattern shows some solid swell windows, but the wind is a real pain most of the time, keeping things choppy and messy. There’s nothing here that’s a true, screaming standout, but we do have a couple of windows where it could clean up nicely.

Let’s start with Thursday morning, 20th August. This is the first real chance at something rideable. A 7 ft south swell is rolling in, but the period is a short 8 seconds, so it won’t have much grunt. The real kicker here is the wind: a brisk 22 mph SSW cross-offshore breeze. That’s gonna clean things up, making it look smooth. The combined energy is moderate (691). Because the swell is over 5 ft, it’s probably a bit much for the groms, but for an intermediate, this morning window is where it’s at. The water temp is 71°, which is about average for the time of year.

Then we get a gap. The rest of Thursday and Friday are pretty average, with the wind turning onshore messing up the 3 ft to 4 ft swells.

The next real promise comes on Saturday afternoon, 22nd August. The wind swings hard to a 28 mph SSW cross-offshore, and the wave energy goes through the roof with a combined energy of 1036. That’s strong energy. The swell is only 5 ft from the south, but with a very long 16-second period, this is a true groundswell. This is the kind of swell that will wrap into points and reefs and hold its shape, but at a beach break like North Beach, a long period like that can make waves break a bit too straight. Still, the clean conditions from that strong offshore wind make it the most interesting offering of the whole forecast for a surfer who wants to get out. Just be aware that with the wind that strong, paddle-out might be a mission.

After that, the forecast gets rough. From Sunday, 23rd August, all the way through to the end of the month, the wind is a stubborn cross-onshore from the NE. There’s plenty of swell, with a few days pushing 5 ft to 8 ft, and even some strong energy numbers (up to 879), but it’s all going to be choppy and lumpy. The period is often short (6-8 seconds), making it weak and messy. This is a solid week of poor surf conditions.

For a brief moment on Tuesday morning, 1st September, we get a clean–looking 5 ft east swell with a 16 mph SSW cross-offshore wind, but the quality is still rated poor, so it’s a gamble.

The outlook then fades out into the first few days of September with nothing but onshore slop.

So, the best on offer is that Thursday morning, 20th August for the clean conditions, and the Saturday afternoon, 22nd August for the raw power and long-period groundswell, even if the wind is strong. The rest of the run is a write-off, I’m afraid. A long stretch of nearly a week with no real recommendations.

This is Rusty, signing off.

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