Pennington Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty. Let’s talk about what’s heading to Pennington Bay. This is a sandbar set-up that’s fairly exposed to the south, so it needs the right swell direction and winds to line up. Right now, the first week is a bit of a mixed bag, with a solid pulse of swell but a lot of wind hassle. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing wild.

The first real surf to mention is Sunday the 13th, but it’s a tricky one. We’ve got a big 12ft S groundswell rolling in with a long 16-second period, and that’s pumping a heap of energy through the break (combined energy of 5530). That’s expert territory – way too big for beginners. The issue is the wind is cross-shore, so it’ll be lumpy and messy. Not the best call.

Things start to clean up from Wednesday the 15th, and that’s where the first standout shows. Wednesday morning sees a 7ft S swell, still with a nice 15-second period, but the wind swings light northerly, giving a clean cross-off breeze. The bay will be looking tidy with clean faces. The afternoon stays similar, dropping to 6ft, still clean. This is the best of the first week – solid, manageable size for experienced surfers, and glassy conditions.

Thursday the 16th is also a good one. Morning has 5ft S swell at 14 seconds, with a gentle offshore northerly wind. Clean and lined up. The afternoon drops to 5ft, still offshore, still clean. Friday the 17th keeps the run going with 6ft S swell and a moderate offshore NNE breeze – clean, punchy waves. Saturday the 18th drops right off, tiny and not worth paddling out for.

There’s a gap from late Saturday the 18th through to Wednesday the 23rd, with only small, messy, or wind-affected surf. Nothing to get excited about.

Then we get a real standout for the second week. Thursday the 23rd is the pick of the whole outlook. Morning brings a 7ft SSW groundswell with a very long 18-second period, and the combined energy is pumping at 5404. The wind is light offshore from the ENE, so it’ll be clean and glassy. That’s proper groundswell, and at a sandbar, it might break a bit straight, but with that period and light wind, it should offer some excellent waves for experienced surfers. The afternoon is even bigger at 8ft, still clean. This is the one to circle.

Friday the 24th still has size – 8ft to 8ft S swell – but the wind picks up to a fresh offshore NNE, which will keep it clean but bumpy. Still good for experts, but not as perfect as the day before. After that, the weekend drops off in quality with stronger winds and smaller, messier swell.

Overall, Wednesday the 15th and Thursday the 23rd are your two standouts. The 23rd is the best of the lot, but it’s a long-range call, so keep an eye on it. Crowds are often at Pennington Bay, so don’t expect to have it to yourself.

Rusty.

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