North wall Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking for Northwall.

To be honest, the next couple of days aren’t doing us any favours. We’ve got some swell around but the wind is all over the shop – cross-shore, cross-on, and making a mess of things. It’s not until Wednesday the 26th that we start seeing anything worth paddling out for, so there’s a bit of a flat, frustrating gap right at the start.

Come Wednesday morning the 26th, the wind swings around to a light cross-offshore from the NW, and the swell bumps up to 5ft from the ENE. The period is a short 7 seconds, so it’s not going to be a classic groundswell, but the wave energy is moderate (222) and the clean conditions will make it rideable. That’s the first real window.

Wednesday afternoon the 26th is where it gets interesting. The wind goes glassy – dead calm, with just a slight air – and we’ve got 4ft of ENE swell. That’s as good as it gets for a beach/groyne setup like this. The wave energy is still solid (208), and the glassy surface means the waves will be peeling clean. For a beginner-friendly spot like Northwall, this is the standout of the week. It’s not big, but it’s clean and fun.

Thursday the 27th and Friday the 28th mornings both offer clean conditions again with cross-off winds and waist-high swell, but the wave quality dips – Thursday is marginal, and Friday morning is just okay.

The real gem, though, is Saturday morning the 29th. A new S swell rolls in with a 11-second period and a combined energy reading of 332 – the most powerful we see in this run. The swell is only 3ft, so it’s manageable for all levels, but the longer period means better shaped waves with more push. The wind is a light cross-off from the S, so expect clean, lined-up sets. This is the best on offer for the whole outlook. Crowds are possible here sometimes, so get in early.

After that, the surf drops off significantly through the end of August and into September. Monday the 31st morning has a clean cross-off and 2ft, but it’s pretty small.

There’s another interesting moment on Tuesday the 1st of September. The morning goes glassy again, with a tiny 2ft swell but a very long 17-second period from the SSE. The wave energy shoots up to 468 – that’s moderate-to-strong energy despite the height. A long-period swell like that can really stand up and offer some nice shape, especially here at a beach/groyne. It’s small, but the glassy conditions and that energy could surprise you. Later that day the wind turns cross-on and ruins it.

After Tuesday the 1st, we’re into a long stretch of poor to marginal conditions. The wind is mostly cross-on or onshore, and the swell is small and weak. From Wednesday the 2nd right through to Monday the 7th of September, there’s nothing that really stands out. The wave energy drops into the double digits (68 and 96 on Saturday the 5th), and it’s a lot of lumpy, choppy, or just tiny surf.

The water temp is around 68°F right now, which is about average for this time of year – no surprises there.

Overall, your best bets are Saturday morning the 29th of August for the cleanest, most powerful swell of the run, and Wednesday afternoon the 26th of August for a glassy, fun session. Tuesday the 1st of September morning is a wildcard for the patient crew.

Rusty.

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