Raffs Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, friends, let’s have a look at the forecast for Raffs Beach. It’s a bit of a slow burner to start, but there’s some real potential hiding in there if we’re patient.

The opening days are pretty underwhelming. We're looking at some clean, small surf with a weak energy reading (484) on Thursday afternoon, but it’s nothing to get too excited about. It’s the kind of stuff that’s good for a log or a learner, but not much juice. The water temp is sitting at 56°F, which is about average for this time of year, so a decent wetsuit is still the go.

Friday starts to pick up a little. That morning we get a better swell with 4ft of southwest groundswell and a longer 18-second period, which bumps the energy up to 1434. It’s clean with that cross-off breeze, but the tide or something else might make it a bit iffy. Friday afternoon, the wind swings onshore and the swell builds to 6ft, and it just gets messier. That’s a pass from me.

Saturday morning is the first real highlight. The sky is clear, the wind is light, and we’ve got 5ft of southwest swell at a solid 14 seconds. The energy is moderate at 903, and it’s clean. This is the first session that’s genuinely worth paddling out for. The afternoon gets a bit bumpy with an onshore breeze, so make the most of the morning.

Sunday is all about size, but the quality drops. We’re looking at 6ft to 6ft of southwest swell, but the wind is either straight onshore or cross, so it’s going to be a bit lumpy and unsure of itself. The energy is moderate (1112 and 1280), but it’s not going to be the cleanest. Hold out.

Now, Monday the 31st is where things start to get serious. That morning, we’ve got 7ft of southwest swell with a 14-second period, and the energy is kicking up to 1777. The wind is light and cross-off, so it’s clean. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. The afternoon is just as good, with 6ft and even more energy at 1813, still clean with that light cross-off breeze. This is the standout of the first week. The swell direction is perfect for this spot, and the conditions are right.

September 1st rolls in with some strong offshore wind – 30 km/h in the morning – and 5ft of swell. It’s going to be clean, but that wind is fresh and might make it a bit tricky. The energy is still solid at 1296. The afternoon gets windier and cross-off, so the morning is the better call.

From the 2nd through the 4th, we have a run of moderate, clean waves in the 5ft to 7ft range. The energy is consistently in the 1100 to 1779 range, which is moderate. It’s not spectacular, but there will be waves. The morning of the 4th is looking like the pick of this run, with 7ft of clean southwest swell and a gentle breeze. A solid session.

Then comes the 5th of September. Saturday morning has 8ft of swell and the energy jumps to 2228 – strong stuff. But by the afternoon, the forecast has it absolutely cranking at 10ft with an energy of 2895. That’s a big, powerful swell, and honestly, it looks too big for this break. It’ll be a washing machine for anyone but the most experienced chargers, and even then, it’s risky. The wind is also going cross, so it won’t be perfect.

The 6th sees it back down to 7ft with a strong offshore breeze in the afternoon. It’s clean, but that wind is up there. Still, there’s energy (1712 and 1463) and it’s surfable.

Now, the second week gets a bit messy. The 7th of September is a write-off. Strong cross-onshore winds, lumpy conditions, and poor surf quality. The energy is there, but it’s a mess. That’s one for the kites, not the surfboards. The 8th is similarly poor – the swell drops, the period drops, and it’s just choppy and cross-shore. Not worth your time.

The 9th is still iffy, with onshore winds and moderate energy. Not a lot to recommend.

But then, hold on. The 10th of September, Thursday morning, looks like another standout. The forecast has 8ft of southwest swell, a very long 15-second period, and a light offshore wind. The energy reading is massive at 3397 – that’s strong, powerful groundswell. It’s clean and excellent for experienced surfers. This is the big one of the run, a proper event swell. The afternoon gets crossed on, so get it early. It’s a long way out, so treat it as promising but not a guarantee.

Finally, the 11th of September Friday morning looks like a good finisher. We’ve got 5ft of clean southwest swell with a light offshore wind, and the energy is back to a comfortable 1079. A nice, clean wave to wrap things up. The afternoon gets a bit cross-shore, so make the morning session count.

So, to sum it up: there are a couple of standout windows here. The first is Monday morning, the 31st of August – clean and solid. The second, and the biggest, is that Thursday morning on the 10th of September, but it’s a distant one and it’s for experts only. The rest of the time, it’s a mix of average and messy, with a proper close-out window around the 7th and 8th. Get on it when it’s clean.

Rusty out.

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