Raffs Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for Raffs Beach.

The overall pattern is a slow burn. We’ve got a little taste of surf right now but nothing to write home about, then a decent pulse of energy rolls in through the weekend that gets real good for the experienced crew, followed by some solid swells further out that have got my attention. There’s a big gap in the middle with nothing worth paddling out for, so don’t drop everything just yet.

First up, Friday morning (28th August) is a lukewarm start. Swell sits around 4 ft from the SSW at a very long 18 seconds, but with a cross-offshore wind there’s not much punch. The combined swell energy is moderate (1364). It’s marginal, and honestly, it's a bit of a tease.

The real kicker comes Saturday morning (30th August). By then we’ve got clean 6 ft SSW swell with that long 13-second period, light cross-offshore winds from the WNW, and skies are clear. The water is about average for the time of year, sitting at 56°F. This is the standout for experienced surfers – the energy is solid (1134) and conditions look excellent. If you can handle a little size, this is your window. Sunday morning (31st August) is a close second: 6 ft SSW groundswell, glassy conditions in the afternoon, and even more energy (1630, ramping up to 2260). The morning is clean with a light breeze, and the afternoon turns dead glassy. Absolutely stunning. Raffs is a beginner-friendly break, but at this size it’s for the more competent crew – over 5 ft and rising.

After that, Tuesday morning (1st September) sees a fresh offshore blow from the north at 19 mph, with a solid 6 ft SSW swell at 16 seconds, but conditions get a bit wild. The energy drops off through the middle of the week, and we hit a dry spell. By the 4th of September (Friday), the swell jumps to a massive 15-16 ft – that’s too big for Raffs and the combined energy is insane (over 11,000) – definitely a kite-surfing show, not a paddle session. Then the following days are a mess of onshore winds and poor surf right through until the 8th.

But hang in there, because the second week shapes up promising. On Monday morning (7th September), we get a clean 6 ft SSW swell with a 11-second period and a light offshore breeze. Conditions are excellent for experienced surfers, with moderate energy (1022). Then Tuesday morning (8th September) is glassy – dead flat calm – with 6 ft SSW swell at a lovely 13 seconds. That’s a real gem. Later in the week, Thursday morning (10th September) goes absolutely glassy with a 4 ft swell, but the energy is light (579). The real standout in the second week is Friday afternoon (11th September): a clean 8 ft SSW groundswell with a super long 18-second period, moderate offshore wind from the NNW at 16 mph, and wave energy cranking up to 4291. That’s a big, powerful, clean swell for experts only. It’s a long-range call, so keep an eye on it, but it looks bloody good.

Rusty.

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