Publics Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, let's talk about what's on the table for the Publics stretch. Gotta be straight with you — the start of this run is mostly for the patient crew or the kite surfers. There’s a lot of wind, but nothing is lining up properly for a clean paddle session for a while.

Kicking off on Thursday the 20th, there’s a small, clean 2-foot swell rolling in from the SSW with a very long 18-second period. That groundswell energy (261) is weak to moderate, but the wind is light and cross-offshore, so it’s glassy. The water’s sitting at 80°, which is bang on average for this time of year. This is a real early-morning or late-afternoon special for a longboard or a funboard — peaceful, but not much push. Crowds are always a thing here, so for a little waist-high wave, you might have plenty of company.

Friday the 21st keeps similar size but the wind switches a bit. Morning is a bit crossed up, but the afternoon cleans off again with that 2-foot SW swell (16-17 seconds). Still on the small side, but it’s workable and clean.

Now the weekend... Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd are a write-off for clean surfing. Winds crank up to 22-28 mph from the ENE, blowing cross-offshore. Swell jumps to 5-6 feet, but it’s short-period wind swell (7 seconds) coming from the ENE, with combined energy in the moderate range (425-521). It’s going to be a choppy, messy, blown-out mess. Honestly, this setup (beach and reef, strong wind, onshore direction) is way more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Monday the 24th through to Wednesday the 26th are marginal at best. Winds stay strong (19-22 mph ENE), and the swell is a mixed bag of short-period ENE wind swell and some longer-period SSW groundswell. The energy climbs (371 to 773), but the quality isn’t there. You’ll see some lumpy, bumpy lines, but nothing you’d want to paddle out for.

Thursday the 27th and Friday the 28th are still marginal. Swell picks up from the S and then east, with periods around 13-17 seconds, and energy now in the moderate 500-848 range. But that strong cross-off wind keeps it from getting good. It’s clean in a sense, but not lined up well.

We finally see a real change on Monday the 31st of August. A bigger 7-foot swell from the ENE (12-second period) hits, with energy spiking to 1354 (strong). That’s a lot of water moving, but with that period and direction at a beach break, it might be a bit straight and dumpy. The wind is still a fresh 22-25 mph cross-off, which keeps it clean-ish, but makes it a battle. This is expert territory at 7 feet — not for the faint-hearted or beginners.

The real standout, the one to circle on your calendar, is Thursday the 3rd of September. Morning sees a 7-foot ENE groundswell (9 seconds) and strong energy (1397). By the afternoon, the wind goes fully offshore from the NE at 12 mph, with the swell a touch smaller at 7 feet. That’s the window. That’s clean, powerful, and lined up. The rating is the best in the whole run. This is a proper September groundswell with clean offshore wind for the afternoon session. It’s going to be good.

Friday the 4th of September keeps the good times rolling. Morning wind is light (6 mph) offshore from the NE, with a 5-foot ENE swell (9 seconds, 520 energy). By afternoon, the wind drops to almost nothing (3 mph) with a 6-foot swell. This is the glassy, clean, end-of-run bonus. It’s a little smaller than Thursday, but the conditions will be unreal. For a long, clean session, this is your pick.

So, to wrap it up: the first week is pretty dead unless you want to fight the wind or ride tiny waves. The real action is in the first few days of September. Thursday the 3rd afternoon and Friday the 4th are the standouts — good size, clean, offshore wind. That’s where you wanna be.

Rusty.

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