Pennington Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve just had a good look at the forecast for Pennington Bay. Right off the bat, I’ll tell you it’s a mixed bag – there’s plenty of size on the way, but the wind is going to be a real drama for most of the run. Let’s get into it.

The first proper surf worth paddling out for lands on Saturday the 8th of August. The morning kicks off with a solid 5ft south swell, pumping in at a very long 16 seconds – that’s proper groundswell energy. The wind is blowing offshore from the north at 30 mph, keeping the faces clean. The combined energy is a strong 1133, so there’s plenty of push. By the afternoon, the wind backs off a little to 15 mph, still offshore from the north, and the swell holds at 5ft from the south with a 15-second period. It’s looking really good. The water temp is sitting at 58°, which is pretty normal for this time of year, no surprises there.

Sunday the 9th is a step down. The morning drops to 3ft from the SSW, period still long at 16 seconds, but the wind goes cross-offshore from the north at 18 mph, so it’s not as clean. The afternoon bumps back up to 5ft, but it’s cross-off again and there’s light rain. Not the best, but still rideable.

Then we hit a rough patch. From Monday the 10th right through to Thursday the 13th, the swell gets big – up to 12ft, even 13ft – but the wind is mostly cross-onshore or onshore, blowing strong, and the energy numbers are massive (6385, 7743, 6274), meaning it’s messy and lumpy. At this size, the beach and sandbar setup is looking more like a kite session than a paddle surf. The conditions are poor, and the swell is just too big for a clean ride.

Friday the 14th is still big at 12ft from the south, 17 seconds, but the wind is a light cross-onshore. The outlook is still marginal, and the swell is too big for the break to handle well.

The real standouts come in the second week. Look at Tuesday the 18th of August. The morning has 3ft from the SSW with a very long 19-second period, and the wind is cross-offshore from the ENE at 9 mph. Clean. The afternoon is even better: 5ft from the SSW, 18 seconds, and the wind is offshore from the NE at 6 mph. That’s glassy, clean, and the energy is a moderate 1426. For experienced surfers, this is the pick of the whole forecast.

Wednesday the 19th is okay, but not as good. The morning has 5ft from the SSW, 16 seconds, with moderate offshore wind from the north at 15 mph. It’s clean, but the energy is a bit lower at 966.

Then we get another crack on Friday the 21st of August. The morning has 7ft from the SSW, 16 seconds, with a light cross-offshore breeze from the north at 6 mph. The energy is moderate at 2276, and the winds are light, making for clean conditions. The afternoon is similar: 7ft from the SSW, 15 seconds, cross-offshore from the northwest at 6 mph. Both are excellent for experienced surfers.

Saturday the 22nd has a smaller 4ft from the SSW, 15 seconds, with offshore wind from the north at 15 mph in the afternoon. Neat, but not a standout.

The last few days of the forecast, from the 22nd onwards, the swell drops off to 3ft or less, and the winds go light or cross. Not much to write home about.

So, if you’re looking for the best, pencil in Saturday the 8th of August for the first decent swell with offshore winds, and definitely circle Tuesday the 18th and Friday the 21st of August – those are the real gems, with clean, long-period groundswell and light offshore breezes. Crowds can be a thing here at Pennington Bay, especially when it’s good, so get in early.

Rusty.

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