Northcott Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let’s have a look at what’s on offer for the next couple of weeks.

To be honest, it’s a pretty bleak stretch ahead for Northcott. The finder is turning up sweet FA for the entire 16-day window – every single session is rated as poor. There’s a real gap in proper surf on the horizon. Looking at the guidance, this spot is fairly consistent, so a blank run like this is a bit of a bummer, but it happens. The forecast can change, so I wouldn’t write the whole period off just yet, but you’d be mad to plan your life around it.

The water temp is 65°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – you might not need the thickest hood, but it’s still not tropical.

We start off on Wednesday, August 5th. There’s 6ft of west swell at 7 seconds, but a 25 km/h WNW wind is blowing straight onshore and the wave comment just says “poor”. The energy is up there at 290, but it’s messy, junky surf. The afternoon drops to 5ft but the wind picks up to 30 km/h, so it’s not going to be pretty.

Thursday, August 6th, the swell backs off to 3ft and the wind goes cross-onshore, chopping it all up. It’s just dribble. Friday and the weekend are almost flat, with waves under 1ft and no push behind them. The energy is down in the double digits – it’s dead. There’s a glimmer of glass on Saturday morning with the SSW wind, but there’s nothing to ride.

The first week is a total write-off. We’re looking at a solid 7-8 days with nothing worth paddling out for. The energy does pick up again a bit on Wednesday, August 12th, with 3ft at 10 seconds from the west. The energy gauge hits 117, which is moderate, but the wind is still cross-onshore and messing it up. It’s better than nothing, but still not really surfable.

The swell builds a bit on Thursday, August 13th, with 4ft in the morning and 5ft in the afternoon, but the period is short and the wind is onshore again. The energy is getting into the low to mid 300s, which tells you there’s some push, but without clean conditions, it’s just a washing machine.

By the second week, things actually start to look a little more promising, but it’s still far from perfect. Saturday, August 16th, has some size – 6ft in the morning and afternoon from the west, with a moderate cross-onshore wind. The energy is strong at 320 and 408, so there’s plenty of water moving. It’s going to be lumpy and hard work, but there could be a bigger, crumbly wave if you’re desperate.

Monday, August 17th, is interesting. We get a cross-offshore wind from the SSE, which cleans it up. The swell is still 4ft in the morning with 201 energy. The comment for that morning is “clean.” That might be the standout of the whole period, to be honest. It’s not big, but it’s the cleanest it’s going to get. It’s a couple of weeks out though, so keep an eye on it.

After that, the wind gets fresh and cross-onshore again, and the swell fades out. The last few days just get smaller and messier, with a new northerly windswell on the 20th that’s only 3ft at a pathetic 4-second period. That’s a waste of time.

So, if you’re keen, your only real window is that Monday morning on the 17th. It’s a long-range call, so take it with a grain of salt, but the cleaner cross-off wind is the only thing that’s going to give you a proper wave. Otherwise, find something else to do.

Rusty.

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