Publics Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Publics. The next couple of weeks are a mixed bag, but I’ll steer you straight.

First up, the water temp is sittin’ right on 80°F which is pretty much spot on for this time of year – no surprises there.

We start off this Wednesday morning, August 19th, with tiny 2ft SW groundswell, period a juicy 16 seconds, but the combined energy is weak (288). The wind is cross-off ENE, so it’s clean but barely a ripple. Not much to get excited about – it’s really marginal. Thursday August 20th shapes up a little better: still small at 2ft from the SSW, but the period jumps to 18 seconds and the wind goes light offshore from the NNE in the afternoon, glassing it right up. That’s your best window in the early days – clean, long-period lines, even if they’re small. Combined energy is still weak (327).

Friday August 21st morning is messy with light cross-shore wind, not ideal. That afternoon, the wind swings light cross-off from the east, cleaning it up again for small 2ft SW swell. Still weak energy (264). Saturday August 22nd gets blown out by strong ENE winds up to 25 mph, and the swell stays small – not worth paddling out. Sunday the 23rd sees a jump in swell height to 6ft but it’s short-period windswell from the ENE at only 7 seconds, and the wind is howling at 28 mph. That’s a messy, blown-out combo – combined energy is moderate (539) but it’s all chop. Honestly, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Monday the 24th through to the end of August is a rough stretch. Winds stay strong from the ENE, 15 to 25 mph, with mostly poor surf conditions. Swell heights bounce around 2ft to 7ft, but it’s nearly all short-period windswell (6 to 8 seconds) and the wind keeps it ugly. The combined energy climbs into the strong range (up to 754) but it’s just raw, lumpy power. Not a single standout in that whole period.

Now, things start to get interesting as we head into September. On Tuesday morning, September 1st, we’ve got 7ft of ENE swell, period 10 seconds, and the wind backs off to 22 mph cross-off. Combined energy is strong (1045). That afternoon, the period stretches to 11 seconds and energy jumps to 1194 – still marginal due to the wind, but it’s a step up in quality. Wednesday September 2nd morning looks promising: 7ft E swell, 11-second period, and ENE wind down to 15 mph. Combined energy is very strong (1534). That’s a standout window – solid groundswell, decent period, and the cleanest wind we’ve seen in days. The swell is over 5ft, so it’s a bit much for beginners, but for experienced surfers that’s a fun size. The ENE direction is cross-off at Publics, so it should hold shape nicely.

Thursday September 3rd offers a bit of a drop-off: 6ft ENE swell, 10-second period, wind 12 mph cross-off from the east. Energy is still strong (1099) but not as clean as Wednesday. It’s a decent option but not the peak.

Bottom line: the first week and a half is mostly a write-off thanks to relentless wind and poor-quality swell. The real standout is Wednesday morning, September 2nd – that’s the one to circle on the calendar. Big, clean, long-period groundswell with manageable wind. Could be a proper session if the forecast holds. After that, things taper off but stay rideable.

Rusty

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