Off The Wall Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at the next 16 days for a spot that’s got some serious potential.

We’re looking at a run that starts with a solid pulse of swell, and the water is *much colder than normal* for the time of year, sitting at 56°F – that’s a big 5°F under the average, so you’ll want a good hood and gloves for this one.

The first real action kicks off on Friday afternoon, 21 August. Off The Wall is a reef break that works best for advanced crew, and it’s going to be firing with a 5ft swell from the south. The wind is a cross-offshore breeze, which will keep it clean, and the combined energy reading is a solid 1280. The swell period is a decent 11 seconds, so you’ll get some push. For a Friday evening session, this is a solid start.

Saturday morning and afternoon on the 22nd are a bit of a washout. The swell is still there, but the wind turns onshore and the conditions get messy. Honestly, not worth paddling out for.

Sunday the 23rd is where it gets good. Morning and afternoon both look excellent. The swell jumps to 8ft from the WSW early, with a 13-second period, and the wind is clean cross-off. The energy is pumping at 1850. This is big, powerful surf, and because it’s a reef, those long-period groundswells will wrap in nicely. This is a standout session for experienced surfers only.

Monday the 24th morning is still very good, with 6ft SW swell and clean cross-off wind, but the afternoon gets blown out. The wind picks up to 25 km/h, and the swell drops.

Tuesday the 25th is the absolute highlight of this whole run. Morning and afternoon both have excellent, clean, offshore wind. The morning shows 8ft of SW swell with a 14-second period – that’s proper groundswell at 2141 energy. The wind is a gentle offshore, meaning the faces will be smooth and hollow. Off The Wall is a reef, so this long-period energy will unload perfectly. This is the day to call in sick.

Wednesday the 26th keeps the quality going with offshore winds again, but the swell direction swings to the southeast and the period drops to 8 seconds. It’s still 7ft to 8ft, but that short-period, wind-driven swell is a different beast. It’s still clean and fun, but not as refined as Tuesday.

After that, the swell drops out. Thursday the 27th is small and onshore, and Friday the 28th sees a small, clean swell return with a 14-second period, but it’s only 4ft to 4ft. The afternoon on Friday 28th is glassy, which is a beautiful thing for a low-energy day.

The weekend of the 29th and 30th gets wild. Saturday the 29th is a write-off with strong onshore wind and rain. But Sunday the 30th explodes. The morning has a massive 12ft WSW swell with a 12-second period, and the energy is a staggering 4154. The wind is a clean cross-off. This is huge, powerful, and dangerous – strictly for experts. The afternoon is still 10ft but the wind picks up a little.

Monday 31st brings nicer conditions as the swell drops to a manageable 5ft with gentle offshore wind. Then Tuesday 1st September returns with another solid pulse of 7ft SW swell and a 14-second period, with clean cross-off wind. This is another excellent session.

The last few days of the run get messy again. The wind turns onshore and strong from Wednesday 2nd through Friday 4th, although Friday the 4th morning has a clean 8ft SSE swell with a shorter period, which is worth a look for the experienced crew.

The bottom line: If you’re an experienced surfer, Tuesday 25th August is the undisputed king of this forecast. The combination of size, direction, period, and offshore wind is just about perfect for this reef. The Sunday 30th August morning is also a massive standout for the big-wave chargers, but it’s more dangerous. Don’t bother with the weekend of the 29th or the end of the first week of September unless you’re after a windsurfing session.

This is Rusty, signing off.

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