Pea Break Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto. Ol’ Rusty here, and I’ve had a good look at what’s on the cards for Pea Break over the next couple of weeks. Gotta be straight with ya, it’s a bit of a rough patch to kick things off, but there are a few windows where it might just get interesting. Let’s get into it.

The first real surf on offer is Saturday, August 8th, but honestly, it’s a wild one. We’ve got a massive groundswell rolling in out of the southwest, pushing 21 to 23 feet with a long 15 to 16 second period, so the energy is enormous (combined swell energy at 18,935 and then 24,483). That’s a whole lot of ocean moving, and with a near gale howling from the SSW at 35 mph, it’s not for the faint-hearted. The wind is cross-offshore, so the face might hold up, but this is strictly for the big-wave chargers. Anything over 5 feet is expert territory, and this is way beyond that. The offshore wind from the SSW is actually a good look for the reef setup here, but the size means it’s a survival mission, not a fun session. Saturday afternoon the forecast notes the swell might even be too big for this spot.

Sunday the 9th eases a touch, but it’s still a heavy 16 foot swell in the morning from the southwest with that same long 16 second period. The wind swings to a moderate WSW cross-shore at 16 mph, which puts a bit of a chop on things. The afternoon gets a bit messier with a cross-onshore. It’s not worth getting too excited about – the conditions are just average.

Monday the 10th is a write-off. We’re looking at near gale-force cross-shore winds and rain, with solid swells, but it’s blown to pieces.

Now, here’s the standout, if you’re a seasoned local. Tuesday, August 11th. The morning session looks magic. The wind goes cross-offshore from the southwest at a much cleaner 25 mph, and we’ve got a powerful 21 foot SW groundswell with a 16 second period. The combined swell energy is 20,952, which is a proper push. The guidance says the wind and tide are favorable, but again, the sheer size is the caveat. This is huge, powerful, and only for the experienced crew on the reef. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so the usual wetsuit will do.

From Wednesday the 12th through to around the 14th, the swell drops back into the 10 to 15 foot range, but the wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore from the west, making everything a bit of a bumpy, choppy mess. Not worth paddling out for.

There’s a slight tease on Friday, August 14th, with a light cross-onshore breeze and a 10 foot swell, but the energy is fading (3,936), and it’s only marginal. The weekend of the 15th and 16th sees the swell dip and swing more westerly, with lighter winds, but it’s still tricky with cross-onshore conditions.

Looking further out, there’s a pulse of energy on Monday, August 17th. A solid 15 foot WSW groundswell with a very long 17 second period rolls in. The morning has a gentle onshore breeze that makes it a bit lumpy, but the period is exceptional. The afternoon wind turns onshore and ramps up to 16 mph, so the window is tight. This is another one for the experts only, and the long period groundswell will be breaking straight across the reef, so you need your wits about you.

The rest of that week into the 23rd looks mostly poor with onshore winds and lumpy, messy surf. The last recorded data on Sunday the 23rd shows a drop to 7 feet from the SW, but it’s blown out by a moderate onshore.

So in summary, Pea Break is a beast that only really shows its teeth for the big-wave riders. The windows are Saturday 8th (for the absolute insane), Tuesday 11th morning (the cleanest of the big sets), and possibly Monday 17th morning (for the long-period specialists). If you’re not in that crew, this is a blank run of 16 days where you’re better off finding a river mouth or a point break, because this setup is all about size and wind management.

Stay safe out there.

Rusty

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