Raffs Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, surfers, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what Raffs Beach has in store for us over the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a slow burn to start, but there’s some real promise on the horizon.

We’ve got a bit of a quiet start. The first couple of days are a write-off with a messy 7ft SW swell on Wednesday the 26th bringing poor conditions, so don’t bother getting wet. Things start to show signs of life on Thursday the 27th. The surf drops right back to a clean 2ft to 3ft SW groundswell with a long 12-13 second period. The morning has light cross-off winds, making for a good little session for a beginner or someone looking to ease back into it. The combined energy is a moderate 340 to 484, so it’s not packing a punch, but it’s rideable and clean. Friday the 28th sees a jump in size, but the wind swings onshore and the conditions get marginal with a cross-chop. Not worth it.

Saturday the 29th looks average; a clean-ish 5ft SW swell in the morning gets ruined by onshore winds in the afternoon. Sunday the 30th is where it gets interesting. We wake up to a solid 6ft SW groundswell (13 second period) and glassy, nearly calm conditions with a light 5 km/h WNW breeze. The water temp is 56°, which is bang on average for this time of year. The combined energy reading of 1039 is in the moderate range, but the clean, offshore wind makes it feel much better. This is a great call for experienced surfers. Monday the 31st is the standout of the first week. We get a 7ft SW swell in the morning and 6ft in the afternoon, both with a long 14-second period, and importantly, light to clean offshore winds from the NNW and N all day. The energy is pumping at 1677 to 1547. This is clean, solid, and well-shaped. Get on it.

The first few days of September get a bit blown out with strong winds, though Tuesday the 1st and Wednesday the 2nd mornings still offer clean 5ft to 6ft SW groundswells (15-16 second periods) before the wind picks up. Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th jump up to a powerful 8ft SW swell, but the forecast is marginal with fresh cross-off winds. The energy is high (up to 2748), but the quality isn’t locked in. Saturday the 5th is another highlight. A solid 7ft SW groundswell with a long 15-second period and clean, light NW winds. The energy is strong at 2098. This is excellent for experienced surfers.

After that, we hit a bit of a wall. Sunday the 6th is an absolute mess with 16ft SW swell, gale-force winds, and an insane energy reading of 8473 to 10375. This is not paddle surfing; if you’ve got a kite, this is your playground. The swell stays big and messy through Monday and Tuesday, with 8ft to 10ft SW pulses. The wind and tide are actually favorable on the 8th and 9th, but the report explicitly says the swell is too big for this break. Wednesday the 9th still has a clean 8ft swell with fresh offshore winds, but it’s a big, powerful wave.

The window closes out on Thursday the 10th with a drop back to a clean 5ft SW groundswell with light winds and a combined energy of 855. A nice, mellow end to the period.

Bottom line: This spot is a beginner-friendly break, so when it gets over 5ft it’s starting to push the limits for less experienced folk, and anything over 8ft is strictly for experts. The best bets are Sunday the 30th of August through Monday the 31st, and then another shot on Saturday the 5th of September. Those are your sessions.

Rusty.

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