North Stradbroke - Pt Lookout Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, Rusty here. Let’s break down the next couple of weeks at Point Lookout.

Water’s sitting right on 69°, which is pretty much what you’d expect for this time of year. Nothing weird going on there. The pattern overall though... well, it’s patchy. There’s swell on the charts for the whole 16 days, but for the first week plus, the wind is a constant headache, blowing hard and keeping things ugly. The swell energy ranges from weak to strong (many readings in the 300s and 400s), but the quality just isn't there.

Friday 14th August starts with a tiny 0.7m south-east swell, short period of 7 seconds, and weak energy (78). Wind is offshore so it’s clean, but there’s almost nothing to ride. The afternoon is even smaller at 0.4m. Saturday 15th is even tinier with 35 km/h offshore wind – too much air for the wave.

Sunday 16th bumps up to 1.6m, but the period is a short 7 seconds and the wind is screaming at 35 km/h. Nasty. Monday 17th is the biggest in the first week, hitting 2.2m by the afternoon with energy up to 561, but the wind is a strong 40 km/h cross-off, making it a real grinder. That 2.2m is expert-only stuff with that wind. Tuesday 18th and Wednesday 19th are more of the same: decent swell energy but blown out. Wednesday afternoon shows a period of 11 seconds on the 1.1m swell (371 energy), which is a bit more interesting, but still cross-off wind.

There’s a massive gap in quality from the 14th right through to the 28th of August. Not a single standout session in that whole stretch. The models are calling poor surf conditions for nearly every slot, with only a couple of “marginal” tags on the 19th and 20th mornings. Not worth paddling out for.

Friday 28th August morning is where the game changes. A solid 2.2m swell rolls in, period of 10 seconds (proper groundswell), and a big combined energy of 1048. The wind is fresh from the south at 30 km/h, offshore, so the waves will be clean and lined up. That 2.2m is a serious size – experts only. The 10-second period isn’t super long, so it will hold its shape nicely at a point break like Pt Lookout. This is the one to chase. The south swell direction matches this break’s optimum east-south-east exposure perfectly. Crowds are possible (labelled "sometimes"), so you’ll want to be early.

Saturday 29th August morning gives a follow-up: 1.8m from the south-east, period 8 seconds, with moderate cross-off wind and clean conditions. Energy is 392. A solid, manageable session for intermediates, not as powerful as Friday, but a good way to finish the weekend.

So the call is simple. The next week and a half is a write-off. Mark your calendar for the 28th of August. That’s your day.

Rusty.

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