Racetrack Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Hey everyone, Rusty here. Let’s talk about the next couple of weeks at Racetrack. This is a solid run of waves, no two ways about it. We’ve got a classic setup: a reef and point break that’s wide open to the southwest swell, and it’s hitting the right direction. The water’s sitting at 78°, which is about par for the course this time of year.

The action starts right away, but the first afternoon on Friday, August 14, is a bit of a tease. The swell is a clean 7ft at 15 seconds from the SSW, with a decent 2322 (moderate wave energy) coming through. But the wind is a cross-off from the SE, and the call is marginal, so it’s more of a warm-up than a show.

Then Saturday, August 15, is where it gets real. The morning brings a clean 7ft at a very long 17 seconds, with the wind switching to offshore ESE at 20 km/h. The water’s going to be like glass. The energy jumps to 2895, and conditions are right for experienced surfers. The afternoon sees the swell bump to 7ft at 17 seconds, with 3202 energy and still offshore wind. This is the best of the first week. It’s a standout – big, consistent, and clean. Racetrack is always packed, so expect a full house, but it’s worth it for waves like this.

Sunday the 16th keeps it pumping with a light ESE breeze in the morning, clean 7ft, 16-second groundswell, and 2248 energy. The afternoon drops a touch to 6ft but stays clean. The whole weekend is a gift.

Monday the 17th sees the swell back off a little, with 5ft in the morning, but the wind is still offshore, so it’s still a good session. The afternoon turns cross-off and gets a marginal call, so it’s a morning mission only.

The pulse comes back strong. Tuesday the 18th has 6ft to 6ft, 16-second swell, and clean offshore ESE winds with energy in the 2000s. But the real highlight of the whole forecast is Wednesday, August 19. The morning is 8ft at a massive 18 seconds, with 4057 energy. The afternoon is 10ft at 17 seconds, with 4874 energy. That’s very strong wave energy. The wind is offshore all day. This is a big, powerful groundswell. Fair warning, at 8ft and above, this is for experts only. The point break should handle that long period, but it’s going to be a heavy day.

Thursday the 20th holds onto the 10ft in the morning, dropping to 8ft in the afternoon, with the swell shifting slightly to straight SW. Still offshore winds, still excellent. The energy stays in the 3000-4000 range.

From Friday, August 21, through the end of the month, the trend is a slow, steady drop. The swell stays between 4ft and 8ft, with periods mostly in the 14-17 second range. The wind is nearly always offshore from the ESE or SE, keeping the surface clean. The energy fluctuates from 1150 up to 3246, so there’s always some punch. A few afternoons get a cross-off wind and a marginal call – like the 27th, 28th, and 29th – but the mornings are almost a lock for good, clean waves.

The standout days are the 19th and 20th for the sheer size and power, and the 15th and 16th for the perfect combo of swell, period, and glassy offshore wind. If you’re an experienced surfer, this is your window. Don’t sleep on it.

Rusty.

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