Putsborough Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s cut to it—this stretch is looking pretty flat and grim for the next couple of weeks. We’ve got a long, quiet run ahead before the ocean finally wakes up. The only real action is a couple of pulses right at the end of the period, and even those are going to need a bit of luck with the wind.

We’re starting in the hole. From the 5th through the 11th, there’s virtually nothing on the table. We’re talking ankle-biters and thigh-high slop at best, with most days seeing waves around 0.7ft to 1ft. The wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, keeping things lumpy and uninviting. There’s a moment on the morning of the 8th and again on the 11th where it goes glassy, but there’s just no swell to make it worth paddling out. This is a proper dead zone.

Then we get a slight tease around the 12th and 13th. We see a small bump of swell, maybe 2ft to 3ft, with a longer period of 9-10 seconds. The energy is still weak though (106 on the 13th morning). The morning of the 12th is glassy, which is a massive positive for the conditions, but the waves are just too small and weak to get excited about. It’s surfable, but you’d be scratching for anything decent. The 14th holds similar small surf, and the 15th and 16th drop back down again. It’s a frustrating stretch—a lot of waiting around for nothing.

Now, here’s where things get interesting, but we’ve got to warn you: it’s a long way off. The 17th of August brings the first real pulse of energy. Monday morning we see a jump in the combined swell energy to 239, with a solid long-period W swell at 1 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell, and it’s got some push. By the afternoon, it’s building to 5ft with energy jumping to 386. The wind, though, is the problem—moderate cross-onshore from the WSW, which is going to chop it up. It’s still the best of the run so far, but it’s not going to be clean.

The real standout, however, is the morning of the 20th of August. We’ve got a 6ft W swell with a 7-second period, and the energy is strong at 341. But what seals the deal is the wind: a cross-offshore breeze from the south at 15 mph, which means it’s going to be clean out there. This is the one to circle on your calendar. It’s a week and a half out, so treat it as promising but not set in stone. For Putsborough, a W swell and clean conditions make for a proper session. It’s a beach break, so the short period (7s) will keep it a bit crumbly, but it’s the only time we see decent size and clean lines in the whole window. The afternoon gets blown out by a strong 28 mph SSW wind, so you want to be out early.

The 18th is a washout—west-northwest gale at 25 mph with 5ft of messy, lumpy surf. That one’s for the kites, not the boards.

So, here’s the plan: the next ten days are a bust. If you’ve got a shortboard and don’t mind a grovel, the 12th morning might give you a few crumbly ones, but don’t hold your breath. The real window is Thursday the 20th. Get up early, get out there, and make the most of it. It’s not perfect, but it’s the best we’re going to see. Keep the faith.

Rusty.

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