Peppermint Grove Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty here, and let me tell you, we’ve got a proper Western Australian winter swell window on the cards for Peppermint Grove Reef. This isn’t a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it pulse; this is a solid, drawn-out run of groundswell that’s going to have the lineup working for the better part of the next two and a half weeks.

The water is sitting at 60°, which is a touch colder than the long-term average for this time of year, so grab the 4/3 and maybe a hood if you’re a cold-water sook like me.

Now, let’s break it down. We start with a bang, but it’s a big one. Tuesday morning, the 18th, we’ve got a serious 12ft groundswell rolling in from the west, with a 16-second period and a massive combined energy reading of 5268. That’s a whole lot of water moving. The wind is a light cross-on at 6 mph, and while the tide and wind are favorable, that size is just too much for this reef break. You’d need a death wish and a bigger board than I own. We'll have to sit this one out.

The rest of the week settles down from there, but it’s still too messy. Tuesday arvo and Wednesday are junk, with onshore winds and rain. Thursday is still marginal with wave heights hovering between 7ft and 8ft, and light cross-onshore winds. The energy is dropping back to the 2000s range, but the quality just isn't there yet.

Here's where things start to look up. Friday morning, the 21st, is our first real standout. The swell has backed off to a much more manageable 6ft from the west-southwest, still with a nice 15-second period. The kicker is the wind: dead glassy with a slight air, just 3 mph from the east. This is the window we’ve been waiting for. It’s going to be clean, it’s going to have push, and while 6ft at this reef will sort the men from the boys, it's still very doable for a decent surfer. This is the first one to circle on the calendar.

Saturday the 22nd isn't bad either. The swell drops to 5ft, but it’s still glassy in the morning with that long 16-second period. It’s a bit softer, but perfect for getting some clean ones. The energy is still moderate at 1180, so it won’t be a paddle battle, but it'll be fun.

The pattern continues through the following week. We've got a run of days with groundswell in the 4ft to 5ft range, but the winds get messy and cross-shore, and the quality drops off. It’s not flat, but it’s not really worth paddling out for. There's a bit of a lull from the 23rd through the 25th, with poor conditions and even a strong, messy 28 mph westerly on the 25th that just wrecks the place. That's the downside of our exposed reefs.

Things get interesting again late in the window. After a couple of days of fresh cross-offshore winds and some long-period, but small, energy, we see the next big build. Sunday the 30th morning is looking clean again – glassy with 5ft of W swell and a 15-second period. That’s another good one.

But the real gem is the last day of the month. Monday morning, the 31st of August, we get a proper pulse. Swell jumps back up to 7ft from the west with a 16-second period and the combined energy is back up into a strong 2314. And, for a change with this size, the wind is dead glassy. This is the one. Excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers is the word, and it’s easy to see why. It’s still under that 8ft expert-only mark, so if you’re confident and can handle a proper reef, this is your session. Expect some proper sets.

After that, the first couple of days of September look promising but less certain. We're looking at 7-8ft swells, but with more onshore wind in the mix. It's got potential, but it's a week and a half out, so take it with a grain of salt. The swell is there, but the wind is the wildcard.

So, if you're looking for the standouts, it's Friday the 21st for the first taste of clean, solid surf, and Monday the 31st for the bigger, more powerful session. Don't miss them.

Rusty out.

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