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 start of the period is a bit of a write-off, to be honest. We’ve got small, weak swell and fresh onshore winds on Wednesday the 19th and Thursday the 20th, so the water’s a mess. Not worth paddling out for. Things start to get a bit more interesting from Friday the 21st, but it’s not until the weekend that we see some real energy.

The standout runs are Saturday the 22nd afternoon through Sunday the 23rd. Saturday afternoon sees a solid 7ft SW groundswell, with a very long period of 16 seconds, and the combined energy is pumping (2313). That’s serious, powerful stuff. The wind is a gentle cross-offshore, keeping it clean – this is a big, powerful wave for experienced surfers only. Sunday is nearly as good, with a 7ft SW swell, and then Sunday afternoon the wind goes glassy, with a 6ft SW groundswell. That’s the pick of the entire period – clean, lined-up, and powerful. Just be aware, with that long period, the sets might be a bit lully, but the quality when they come will be top-notch.

There’s a bit of a lull on Monday the 24th with a drop in size, then Tuesday the 25th is a total loss with cross-onshore winds. Wednesday the 26th and Thursday the 27th are pretty average, although the afternoons look clean. Friday the 28th morning has another big pulse showing, with a 6ft SW swell and a very long 17-second period, and the energy is huge (2168). The wind is clean, so that’s another one for the big-wave crew, but the wind goes against it in the afternoon.

The start of the second week gets messy. Saturday the 29th sees a massive 8ft SSW swell, but it’s pinned with heavy onshore winds – that’s a blown-out, dangerous mess, more for the kite crowd than paddlers. Sunday the 30th is still onshore, not great. The real highlight of the second week is Monday the 31st of August. We get a clean, offshore morning with a 3ft SW groundswell, but the period is an incredible 18 seconds. That’s a very long, clean groundswell on a small day, perfect for a log or a fish. The energy is moderate (720), but the quality will be unreal. Tuesday the 1st of September also holds a clean, solid 6ft SW swell, with good offshore winds in the afternoon.

So, the best on offer is the glassy Sunday the 23rd afternoon for the experienced crew, and the small, long-period treat on Monday the 31st for everyone else. Don’t bother with the first few days, and be wary of the big, windy days.

Rusty.

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