Populars Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let’s get straight into it. The next couple of weeks are gonna be a bit of a mixed bag for us here. We’ve got a real window of surf kicking off right at the start, but there’s also a long, flat stretch that’ll have you checking your board for cobwebs. Let’s break it down, day by day.

Overall Pattern

The opening days of August are looking like the main event. We’ve got a decent sized, if a little short-period, swell that’s going to be wrapping in. After that, things take a nosedive. There’s a long stretch from around the 6th through the 9th where it’s just about junk – either too small, or onshore, or just messy. Then, the second week turns into a waiting game for a more southerly pulse that could bring some cleaner, longer-period lines, but it’s going to be on the smaller side.

The Opening Run: August 1st - 3rd

Right, first up, Populars (Populars). This is where you want to be for the start. The forecast starts on Saturday the 1st with a bumpy, short-period swell. We’re looking at around 10ft on Saturday morning with an 8-second period, coming from the east. The energy is pumping at 1483, so there’s plenty of push. It’s big, it’s powerful, and it’s going to be a handful. This is definitely expert territory – could easily be too much for the average surfer. The wind is a strong cross-off from the ENE, so it’ll be lumpy on the surface but ridable. This is a case where the tide and the sheer size are going to be the real factors. The consistency is there, but the conditions aren't perfect.

Sunday the 2nd is a touch smaller, down to 7.5ft but still with that 8-second easterly swell and energy around 1079. Same story, cross-off wind, still a challenge. By Monday the 3rd, we’re down to a more manageable 5.5ft, and the energy drops to 553. It’s still a bit junky with the cross-off breeze, but if you’re an intermediate looking for a push, this is your best bet in this opening stretch.

The Fade and the Flop: August 4th - 9th

From Tuesday the 4th, it starts to weaken. The swell drops to 5ft but the period stretches out to 11 seconds, which at least makes it a bit more lined-up. Still, the wind is a problem, a fresh cross-off. The energy is down to 570. It’s surfable but not clean.

Wednesday the 5th is actually a glimmer of interest, though it’s weak. The swell is down to 4ft, but the wind drops right off, becoming light or even glassy. That makes the surface clean, and there’s a chance of a storm. The energy is only 309, so it’s pretty small, but those clean conditions might make a fun longboard wave. I’d watch this one, but don’t get your hopes up for anything big.

Then comes the real lull. From Thursday the 6th through Saturday the 9th, it’s effectively flat. We’ve got a tiny bit of leftover energy, but the periods are long and the swell direction is useless. On the 6th, there’s a brief pulse of 1.5ft from the SSW with a 14-second period and only 169 energy. It’s technically glassy, but there's nothing to ride. The 7th, 8th, and 9th are all looking like they’ve got some onshore junk and then it's pretty much done. For those days, there’s no real surf on offer.

The Wait for the New Pulse: August 10th - 16th

The second week is all about patience. From Monday the 10th, we see a shift in the swell direction to the south-southwest. It’s small, 2-3ft, but the period is much longer, in the 14-16 second range. On the 10th and 11th, we’re getting that long-period energy but it's small and the wind is still a persistent cross-off.

It’s not until the 12th and 13th that things start to get a bit more interesting. The swell direction shifts more towards the south, and the period jumps up to 18-19 seconds, with energy climbing to 733. It's still not huge – around 2.5-3ft – but this is proper groundswell. This kind of long-period, south swell is perfect for Populars as a reef. It’ll have some push even at that size. The wind is

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