North Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Well, I’ll be honest with you, looking at this 16-day stretch for North Beach, it’s a proper mixed bag, and for long stretches it’s going to be a write-off. We’ve got some real quality on offer mid-period, but you’ve got to pick your moments and be patient.

The forecast kicks off with pretty average conditions. The first few days, from Saturday the 22nd, have some swell but the winds are messy or too strong. Saturday morning has a tiny 1ft SSW swell with a moderate breeze making it choppy – not worth a paddle. Saturday afternoon gets worse with a near gale from the SSW. Sunday the 23rd has a bigger 7ft to 8ft S/SSW swell, but it’s a bit junky with cross-shore and cross-offshore winds. It’s marginal at best.

Then there’s a bit of a flat, rubbish spell through Monday the 24th and into Tuesday the 25th, with small, choppy surf and poor conditions. A gap of a couple of days where there’s nothing really going for it.

Now, here’s the standout. Wednesday morning, the 26th of August, is your moment. The stars align. We’ve got a 4ft swell from the S, but more importantly, the period is a juicy 18 seconds – that’s proper groundswell, long lines of energy. The wind? Glassy. Absolutely dead calm. That’s a game-changer. The water temp is around 71°, which is bang on average for this time of year, so that feels normal. The wave energy is moderate (1061). This is going to be clean, smooth, and have some real push. For an intermediate surfer, it’ll be a treat. Just be aware, with that very long period, the sets will be spaced out, but the paddling out will be easier between them. The break is pretty consistent, so you can bank on waves. Crowds are *sometimes* an issue here, so expect a few others with the same idea, but with that quality, it’s worth the company.

Wednesday afternoon sees the wind turn light cross-onshore and the swell jumps to 7ft, making it more challenging and marginal.

After that, it’s a long, frustrating run. From Thursday the 27th all the way through to Saturday the 5th of September, the wind is pinned from the NE or ENE, blowing cross-onshore and often strong. The surf size fluctuates but it’s constantly lumpy, messy, and blown out. There’s a big 13ft SSW swell on Friday the 4th, but it’s accompanied by a fresh cross-onshore breeze and a very high combined energy (2768), making it pure chaos and only for the brave and expert. It’s honestly more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing through this whole period.

The last couple of days, the 5th and 6th, ease off a bit with lighter winds and smaller swell, but it’s still cross-onshore and only marginal. Not the kind of finish you’d write home about.

So, bottom line: surfable swells are few and far between. Wednesday the 26th morning is the clear, clean winner. Get out there if you can. Otherwise, this is a pretty blank run for the area, and it might pay to wait for the next forecast update.

Rusty.

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