Publics Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Alright, let me be straight with you—this 16-day stretch for the Publics is a bit of a mixed bag, and honestly, it’s gonna take some patience. The water’s sitting at 81°, which is about average for this time of year, so no drama there. The real issue is the wind: solid east-northeast winds blowing cross-offshore for most of the run. That keeps the surface clean, which is a plus, but the swell energy is all over the place.

We kick off Wednesday afternoon, August 26th, with a small S swell pushing 2 ft at a long 18 seconds. The combined wave energy is moderate at 602, and the wind is cross-off at 19 mph, so it’s clean but tiny. Thursday morning, August 27th, sees a bump to 4 ft from the S, still long-period at 17 seconds, with energy climbing to 898, but the wind picks up to 22 mph—still clean, but it’s marginal. Thursday afternoon drops to 3 ft, and Friday morning, August 28th, gets even smaller at 3 ft, with a poor surf rating. Friday afternoon is a bit better at 3 ft, but still not much to write home about.

Then we hit a rough patch. From Saturday, August 29th, through the start of September, the swell shifts to a short-period ENE windswell, around 5 ft to 6 ft, but with periods of just 6 to 9 seconds. The energy stays moderate (500 to 946), but the wave quality is poor to marginal—just mushy, choppy stuff. The wind stays cross-off and fresh, so it’s clean on the surface, but the waves lack shape. This stretch lasts until around September 3rd, with a few days of nothing worth paddling out for.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The standout window arrives on Friday, September 4th. Early morning, we get a 6 ft ENE swell with a period of 8 seconds, moderate energy at 838, and light winds from the east at 9 mph. The forecast says “expect very good surf conditions,” and that’s the best we’ve seen. The wind is gentle, the surface is clean, and the swell has some push. This is the pick of the run—head out early for the cleanest lines. Saturday morning, September 5th, is also decent: 5 ft ENE swell, light breeze at 6 mph, and good conditions. It’s smaller, but still fun.

After that, we get a brief surge of long-period SSW groundswell on September 6th and 7th, around 3 ft at 15 to 17 seconds, with light cross-shore winds. Energy is moderate in the 600s, and Monday afternoon, September 7th, looks the best of that mini-run, with clean conditions and a “very good” rating. But it’s small, so don’t expect barrels.

The tail end of the run, from September 8th to 10th, fades back into poor ENE windswell, with strong winds and low energy. Not worth it.

So, bottom line: the best bet is Friday morning, September 4th, at Publics. That 6 ft ENE swell with light offshore winds and clean conditions is your standout. Saturday morning is a close second. The rest is a waiting game.

Rusty.

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