Out Front Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’m gonna be straight with you – this 16-day outlook for Out Front is a bit of a tough one. We’re staring down a long run of very small, weak surf with hardly any energy in the water. The first decent hint of anything rideable doesn’t show up until Thursday, August 20th, and even that’s nothing to write home about. We’ve got a big gap of basically flat, poor conditions from now until then, so don’t bother paddling out for the next week and a half unless you just want a float.

It all starts off pretty bleak. Saturday the 8th has a tiny 1ft swell from the southeast with a short 8-second period and weak combined energy of just 40. To make it worse, we’ve got a cross-on breeze blowing at 16 mph, making it choppy and messy. There’s nothing to recommend there.

Sunday the 9th through Wednesday the 13th is a dead zone – wave heights are between 0.3ft and 2ft, mostly from the south or south-southeast, with periods under 8 seconds and combined energy barely cracking 30. Winds are all over the place, but the swell is just too small to get excited about. Thursday the 14th and Friday the 15th bring a slight uptick with 0.7ft to 2ft swell from the east-northeast, but the energy stays well below 30. It’s clean in the mornings, but those are knee-high dribblers at best.

Now, Thursday August 20th is where we see the first real pulse. The morning session offers a 2ft southeast swell with a longer 11-second period, so there’s a bit more push behind it. Combined energy hits 92 – still on the weaker side, but it's the best we've seen. The wind is light from the north-northeast, keeping things clean and clean enough to ride those small, ordinary waves. It’s surfable, but you’ll be working for it. The water temperature is around 78°F, which is about normal for this time of year, so you won’t need a thick suit.

Friday August 21st sees a bump in size, with 3ft swell from the southeast and the same 11-second period. Combined energy jumps to 196, which is moderate, but unfortunately, the wind swings to a strong cross-on from the south-southwest at 12-16 mph, turning the break choppy and messy. There’s a risk of thunderstorms too. This one’s tricky – the energy is there, but the conditions will make it hard work.

The Best on Offer: If you’re desperate for a wave, Saturday August 22nd is your pick. The morning has a 2ft east swell with an 8-second period and combined energy of 100, but the real winner is the light offshore breeze from the northwest at 9 mph. It’s clean, gentle offshore and clean conditions. The afternoon holds up with 3ft east swell at 107 combined energy and light cross-off winds from the west-northwest – still clean and rideable. It’s not big, but it’s the cleanest, most organised wave in this entire run. Out Front is exposed to the southeast, and this easterly swell will wrap in okay, but it’s a sandbar break that’s inconsistent, so you’ll be waiting for sets. Crowds can show up sometimes, but with this quality, it might be quiet.

Sunday the 23rd drops off again with a strong cross-off wind and only 2ft of east swell – the wind will make it look better than it is, but the energy fades.

To sum it up: we’ve got a long stretch of nothing, then a brief window of clean but small surf on Saturday the 22nd. That’s your best shot. After that, it’s back to the waiting game. Keep an eye on the forecasts though – it tends not to stay poor for long around here.

Rusty.

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