Number Threes Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Number Threes over the next couple of weeks. I’ll be straight with you – it’s a bit of a mixed bag, and we’ve got a real dry spell to work through before anything worthwhile shows up.

The first few days are a tough watch. We’ve got some clean, cross-off conditions from the ENE, but the swell is just too weak and messy to get excited about. The wave energy is low, sitting around the 800 to 900 mark (moderate energy), and the swell periods are all over the place. It’s marginal at best, and honestly, not worth paddling out for.

We hit a real rough patch from the 14th of August. Friday afternoon sees a 7ft ENE swell, but the period drops to a tiny 8 seconds and the wind is a strong 25 mph from the NE – it’s just poor conditions. Saturday is even worse: a 10ft ENE swell but with a 28-31 mph NE wind, making it messy and blown out. The energy jumps to 2166 (strong) on Saturday morning, but the wind is a near gale by the afternoon. Sunday the 16th is a write-off with a 16ft E swell, but it’s coming with a strong cross-onshore SE wind and a risk of thunderstorms. The wave energy is 6108 (very strong), but it’s just a chaotic, dangerous mess. This is strictly for the experts, and honestly, more of a kite surf session than a paddle surf one.

Things start to settle down from the 17th of August. Monday morning gives us a 6ft ENE swell, with a moderate breeze, and a period of 8 seconds. The energy is 1074 (strong), but it’s still a little short-period and only scores a 3 out of 10. It’s a step up, but it’s not a standout.

The real winner, the one you’ve been waiting for, is the 23rd and 24th of August. The swell swings around to the SSW, matching the optimum for Number Threes. On Sunday the 23rd afternoon, we’ve got a 3ft SSW swell with a period of 15 seconds – that’s proper groundswell, long and powerful. The wind is light from the NE at 6 mph, which is cross-off. It’s clean. The energy is 316 (moderate), but the quality is there.

Then Monday the 24th morning is the pick of the entire forecast. The swell is 3ft from the SSW, with a 13-second period, and the wind is glassy – a dead calm 3 mph from the SSW. That’s as good as it gets for clean surf. The wave energy is 488 (moderate). The water temperature is about average for the time of year, so no wetsuit surprises there. This is a point break and reef setup, so that long period groundswell will wrap in nicely. The crowd profile at Number Threes is “often” busy, so expect a few heads out for these clean windows.

There’s another decent-looking window on the 26th of August. Wednesday morning gives us a 3ft SSW swell, a 13-second period, and a light cross-shore from the E. The energy is 594 (moderate), and it’s clean. The afternoon session on the 26th is even better, with a 2ft S swell, a 17-second period – that’s very long period groundswell – and a light cross-off E wind. The energy is 525 (moderate), and conditions are described as “very good.” That’s another one to circle on the calendar.

So, to sum it up: the first week and a half are grim, with a big gap of no-good surf until the 23rd of August. The standout is the 24th of August morning with glassy conditions and a clean SSW groundswell at Number Threes. The 26th of August also looks very promising. It’s a waiting game, but when it comes, it’ll be worth it.

Rusty.

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