North Stradbroke - Pt Lookout Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get stuck into the outlook for North Stradbroke - Pt Lookout. It’s a point break that’s fairly exposed to the east, so it needs the right angle to really shine. The water temp is about average for this time of year.

We start off with a bit of a nothing burger. For the first few days, the swell is small and the conditions are just ordinary. Saturday morning the 8th has some clean 3ft waves from the east with a short 8-second period, but the south wind is blowing straight offshore at 12 mph. The energy is weak (96), so it’s surfable, but honestly, nothing to write home about. Saturday afternoon goes downhill with a cross-offshore wind, pushing the swell to 3ft but the quality drops right off.

Sunday morning the 9th is a real tease. The wind goes glassy, light from the west-northwest at just 3 mph, and we’ve got 3ft of east swell ticking over at 9 seconds. The energy is moderate (180) and the surf is clean, but it’s still just ordinary. It’s the best of a pretty average bunch, but it’s not a standout. The crowds are possible here, so you might have some company on those clean little runners.

Then we hit a dry spell. From Sunday afternoon right through to the 16th, it’s poor. The swell drops, the wind gets nasty, and the scores are flat. There’s a stretch of about a week with nothing worth paddling out for. The combined energy drops to as low as 32 on the 15th, so it’s barely a ripple.

Now, hold onto your boards, because things get interesting around the 17th. The swell starts to build with a pulse of 6ft southeast swell on Monday morning, but the period is a short 7 seconds and the wind is a fresh cross-offshore at 22 mph. The energy is strong (377), but the conditions are still poor. By the 19th, the swell is hitting 7ft from the east-southeast with an 8-second period, and the energy is very strong (765), but the wind is howling at 22-25 mph. It’s a messy, powerful mess. At this size, it’s getting too big for beginners, and the short period makes it a bit of a handful. Honestly, with that wind and swell, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The real standout, the one you’ve been waiting for, is Friday morning the 21st of August. We’ve got a solid 7ft southeast swell, 8-second period, and the wind is light offshore from the south at just 9 mph. The energy is very strong (764), and the forecast says “expect very good surf conditions.” This is the pick of the whole window. The offshore wind will keep everything clean, and that point should be firing with some nice lines. At 7ft, it’s still manageable for strong intermediates, but it’s pushing into expert territory. The swell direction is a bit east of south, which matches the optimum east direction nicely. This is a true standout.

Saturday the 22nd sees the swell peak at 8ft from the east with a 10-second period, but the wind swings onshore and ruins it. The energy is massive (1115), but it’s choppy and blown out. Not the day.

So, overall, the first week is a write-off, but keep your eyes on that Friday morning the 21st. It’s a long way out, so the forecast could change, but right now it looks like the best chance for a proper session.

- Rusty

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