Racetrack Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty.

Let’s get straight into it. The long-range picture for Racetrack is looking properly juicy, with a solid run of SSW groundswell lining up for the better part of two weeks. This is a reef and point set-up that loves that direction, and with mostly offshore winds in the forecast, there’s plenty to get excited about if you’re an experienced surfer. The water’s sitting at 79°, which is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

We kick things off on Wednesday morning, August 5th, with clean 6ft surf. It’s not huge, but the conditions are spot on – light ESE offshore breeze, clear skies, and the swell is already carrying some energy (1451). It’s a good warm-up, but the real juice starts building from there. Wednesday afternoon drops off slightly to 5ft, so make the most of the morning session.

Thursday the 6th sees the swell push up to 7ft, with a longer 17-second period on the morning session. That’s proper groundswell, and the offshore wind keeps it clean, though it’s a bit stronger. The afternoon holds at 7ft with a cross-off wind, still surfable but not as perfect.

Friday the 7th is where things start to get serious. We’ve got 8ft surf with that long-period SSW energy, and the wind is offshore all day. This is powerful, well-shaped reef and point surf – the kind of day that gets the heart pumping. The energy reading is climbing into strong territory (3331 to 3628), so expect some real push behind those sets.

Saturday the 8th stays solid with 8ft to 8ft, but there are a few rain showers around in the morning. The wind is still offshore, so it should stay clean, but the afternoon goes cross-off and gets a bit more tricky.

Sunday the 9th is a step down in size, back to 7ft, and the wind swings more cross-off in the afternoon. Still surfable, but not the pick of the week. Monday the 10th is interesting – the morning is a bit messy at 7ft, but the afternoon jumps up to 10ft with a big spike in energy (7001). That’s a serious step up in power, and even though the wind is cross-off, this is a heavy session.

Now, Tuesday the 11th is the standout of the first week. The morning has 10ft of SSW swell with a 17-second period, offshore wind, and an energy reading of 5580. This is big, powerful, and perfectly groomed. This is a day for experienced surfers only – anything over 8ft is expert territory, and this is right there. The afternoon backs off a touch to 10ft but goes cross-off, so the morning is definitely the window.

After that, there’s a bit of a lull. Wednesday the 12th and Thursday the 13th see the swell ease back to 7ft to 10ft, with Thursday morning looking particularly good at 10ft with offshore winds and a lighter breeze in the afternoon. Friday the 14th holds at 8ft to 8ft with clean offshore conditions all day – another solid one.

The weekend of the 15th and 16th keeps the swell at 7ft to 8ft, but the wind picks up, especially on Sunday the 16th with a fresh 30 km/h ESE breeze. It’s still offshore, so it’s not bad, but it’s not as clean. The swell starts to taper off into the following week – Monday the 17th drops to 5ft to 6ft, and the energy fades.

The second week is a bit more of a mixed bag. Tuesday the 18th sees a slight bump back to 5ft to 6ft, before another proper pulse arrives on Wednesday the 19th. That morning has 8ft with a 17-second period and a big energy reading of 4057. This is another standout – full of power, clean offshore wind, and proper shape. The afternoon holds at 8ft. Thursday the 20th rounds it out with 8ft surf, still offshore in the morning, and good energy.

So, the two true standouts are Tuesday the 11th and Wednesday the 19th. Both are big, clean, powerful groundswell days at Racetrack. The 11th has that slightly longer period and a bit more size, but the 19th is right there with it. If you can only pick one, the 11th is the one.

Crowds are always going to be an issue at a spot this good, so get in early. And remember, this is a heavy, exposed reef and point – it’s not for the faint-hearted. If you’re not comfortable in big, powerful surf, give these days a miss.

Stay safe, and see you out there.

Rusty

Read more