Nyang-Nyang Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s have a good look at what’s coming down the line for Nyang-Nyang.

Right now, the water’s sitting at 79°, which is about average for this time of year – nothing wild there.

The short story is, this is a tough outlook. Nyang-Nyang is an advanced reef break that needs clean conditions to shine, and for the first stretch we’re just not getting them. The first solid swell reading comes in from Tuesday 25 August, with 6 ft SSW groundswell at a juicy 16 seconds, but the wind is a cross-onshore 16 mph from the southeast, and it’s just choppy and messy. That poor quality sticks around for days.

Wednesday 26 August and Thursday 27 August still have that cross-onshore wind, though by Thursday afternoon the wind swings more onshore from the SSE at 12 mph, and swell hits 6 ft at 15 seconds. The combined wave energy piles up to 2561 – that’s strong energy – but the conditions are still marginal at best. The wind isn’t doing us any favours.

Friday 28 August sees the swell jump to 8 ft SW at 16 seconds, with combined energy roaring up to 3684. That’s serious power, but again the wind is cross-onshore. For a reef break, this is only for the most experienced crew. Beginners, stay well away – anything over 5 ft is already pushing it for you, and 8 ft is expert-only territory.

Saturday 29 August eases a bit – 7 ft SSW, 15 seconds, and the wind drops to a light breeze from the southeast at 6 mph. This is the one true standout in the whole run. Light cross-onshore wind with just small ripples on the surface, a solid groundswell, and combined energy of 1737. For Nyang-Nyang, this Saturday morning is as close to clean as we’ll get. Crowds are possible here, so get in early.

From Sunday 30 August onward, it’s a real grind. The wind picks back up to 16 mph cross-onshore for days, with swell hanging around 5 ft to 7 ft. Periods dip as low as 12 seconds on Sunday afternoon, and the energy drops off quickly – below 1000 at times. There is a gap of several days from Sunday 30 August right through to Friday 4 September where nothing is really worth paddling out for.

Then, around Saturday 5 September, we get a pulse of 6 ft SSW at 18 seconds in the afternoon – that’s very long period groundswell, 2799 combined energy – but the wind is still cross-onshore at 12 mph, so it’s marginal at best. The long period makes it more suited to this reef break, but without offshore wind it’s a miss.

Sunday 6 September through Tuesday 8 September is more of the same – clean enough energy but never the right wind. The final roll of the dice comes on Wednesday 9 September, with a big 10 ft SSW groundswell at 18 seconds and combined energy screaming up to 5204. That is serious power, but again cross-onshore 12 mph wind keeps it messy and poor. For experts only, and even then, it’s a battle.

If you’re looking at these bigger swells with onshore wind, the setup honestly looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. But for the wave rider, Saturday 29 August morning is your window. It’s not perfect, but it’s the best on offer.

Stay safe out there.

Rusty

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