Raffs Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. First up, the water’s sitting at 56° which is pretty much average for late August.

Alright, we’ve got a bit of a slow start but things kick off Thursday morning, 27 August, at Raffs Beach. Early session with a small 2ft SW swell and a 12-second period. The wind’s a light NW cross-off, so it’ll be clean. The combined swell energy is low at 352 – not a lot of push, but for a beginner-friendly spot, it’s a nice little warm-up. The afternoon gets a touch better with a 3ft SW swell and a longer 13-second period, energy jumps to 484, still clean with a light WNW cross-off.

Friday morning, 28 August, the swell picks up to 4ft from the SW, period 18 seconds (that’s a proper groundswell), and the combined energy is a solid 1425. But the wind swings W at 12 mph, turning it cross-shore with a bit of chop. It’s not clean, and the tide might mess with it. Afternoon gets bigger at 6ft but the wind goes SSW cross-on, only light, but it’s onshore, so expect ripples.

The standout window starts Saturday morning, 29 August. Clear skies, a light WNW cross-off, and a 5ft SW swell with a 14-second period. The energy is 899 – moderate, but the conditions are clean. It’s a good solid beginner wave. Sunday morning, 30 August, is even better: 6ft SW swell, 13-second period, light WNW cross-off, and clean. The energy is 1111 and the score is a solid one. This is the best of the early run for sure.

The real headline though is Monday, 31 August. Morning: 7ft SW swell, 14-second period, light NW cross-off, clean, energy 1930. Afternoon: 7ft SW swell, 15-second period, a glassy NNW offshore at just 3 mph, clean as a whistle, energy 2040. That afternoon session is the pick of the whole forecast. The swell is getting up there, but it’s still in the experienced range, not too big for the crew who know what they’re doing.

Tuesday, 1 September, the wind gets a bit punchy. Morning has a strong 19 mph NNW offshore, which keeps the 6ft SW swell clean, but it’s a fresh breeze. The period is 16 seconds, long lines, but that wind will have you hanging on. Afternoon the wind drops a touch but turns cross-off, still clean but the swell drops to 5ft.

From Wednesday, 2 September, through to Thursday, 3 September, we’ve got solid 6ft to 7ft SW swells, clean with cross-off winds, but the wind is up around 16-19 mph. It’s surfable, but you’ll be working for it.

Now, from 4 September, things get heavy. Friday morning, 4 September, 8ft SW swell, 15-second period, energy 3135. The wind is a fresh NW cross-off, so it’s clean, but this is getting into expert territory. Friday afternoon pushes 10ft, and the forecast actually says it’s too big for this break. Same story for Saturday and Sunday, 5 and 6 September – 10ft to 12ft SW swells, energy up around 3500 to 7500. The wind is cross-on or strong, and it’s lumpy. This is not a paddle day. Honestly, if you’ve got a kite, this setup might be more your thing than a surfboard.

The swell peaks again on Monday, 7 September, with 12ft SW, 15-16 second periods, and clean cross-off winds, but it’s just too big for Raffs. The forecast says the same: too big for this break.

After that, the swell drops. Tuesday, 8 September, is messy with cross-on wind and 7ft to 13ft – poor conditions. Wednesday, 9 September, is still oversized with 13ft to 16ft SSW swells, but the wind is light and cross-shore, so it’s not all chop.

Finally, the run ends well. Thursday, 10 September, morning: 7ft SW swell, 11-second period, light ENE cross-off, clean, energy 1016. This is a good one for experienced surfers. Friday, 11 September, morning: 5ft SW swell, 14-second period, a gentle NNE offshore at 9 mph, clean, energy 809. That’s a nice way to finish the forecast.

So, the best of the lot: Monday afternoon, 31 August – glassy offshore, 7ft clean SW groundswell. And for a close second, Sunday morning, 30 August, with that 6ft clean cross-off. Everything else is either small, windy, or oversized.

Rusty.

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