Publics Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll level with you – the next two weeks at Publics are a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got a real feast-or-famine situation going on. The early part of the outlook is a bit of a write-off, but things start to get interesting towards the end of the first week and into the second. The water’s sitting at a warm 80.6°F, which is bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

We kick off on Wednesday, August 5th. The swell is on the small side, around 3.9ft from the ENE with a short, jumbled 10-second period. The combined energy is moderate at 347. It’s surfable, but only just. The wind is a cross-off from the ENE at 12 mph, which keeps things clean, but the wave comment says it’s marginal. Honestly, it’s a bit of a scratchy session. The afternoon sees the wind pick up to 16 mph, still cross-off, but the swell drops a little to 3.6ft. Not much to write home about.

Thursday, August 6th, is a complete dud. The morning swell is a pathetic 1.3ft from the SSW, and the afternoon brings a 3.6ft ENE swell but with a period of only 8 seconds. The wind is howling at 19 mph in the arvo. Just poor conditions all round. Friday, August 7th, is more of the same – tiny, weak swells from the SW with long periods but no height. The wind is a constant cross-off, but the energy is lacking. This is a real flat spell.

Saturday, August 8th, starts off flat and windy, but the afternoon shows a flicker of life. The swell jumps to 5.2ft from the ENE, but with a period of only 7 seconds, it’s going to be a messy, onshore-feeling closeout. The wind is a fresh 22 mph, and the combined energy has climbed to 506 (moderate). It’s not great for a paddleboard, but if you’ve got a kite, this might be more your jam.

Now, Sunday, August 9th, is where things start to get a bit more interesting. The swell builds to 5.6ft in the morning and 6.2ft in the afternoon from the ENE, with that same short 7-second period. The wind is a steady 19 mph cross-off. The combined energy is strong at 576 and 644. It’s still a bit lumpy and short-period, but at 6.2ft, there’s enough push to get a few waves, even if they’re a bit crumbly. It’s a marginal call, but it’s the first real surf of the outlook.

Monday, August 10th, and Tuesday, August 11th, see the swell drop back to 4.9-5.2ft from the ENE, still with that short, weak period. The wind is a constant 16-19 mph cross-off. The energy is moderate, but the wave comment is “poor surf conditions.” It’s a bit of a grind, really.

Then we hit Wednesday, August 12th, and things change. The swell direction swings to the South, with a much longer period of 18 seconds. The height is only 3.0ft, but that long period means it’s a proper groundswell. The combined energy is high at 866 (strong). The wind is a fresh 22 mph cross-off. This is a tease – the long period would be amazing for a point break or reef, but at a beach-and-reef setup like Publics, it might break too straight and be a bit tricky to handle. Still, it’s a sign of better things.

Thursday, August 13th, is the real standout. The morning sees a 3.6ft South swell with a 16-second period, and the combined energy is a powerful 1036 (very strong). The wind is a cross-off from the ENE at 19 mph. This is the best combo of the outlook so far. The long period means proper, lined-up waves, and the energy is pumping. The only downside is the wind, which is a fresh breeze, but it’s cross-off, so the faces will be clean. This is the day to get in the water. The afternoon is similar but the energy drops a bit.

Friday, August

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