Raffs Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, it's Rusty here, and we've got a real mixed bag coming up for Raffs Beach over the next couple of weeks. The long-range models are starting to firm up some decent pulses, but we’ve gotta wade through a bit of chop and a couple of big, gnarly days first. The water temp is sitting around 13°, which is pretty much bang on normal for this time of year – no surprises there.

We kick things off on Friday the 21st, but honestly, it’s nothing to get excited about. There’s a weak 1.1m SW swell, period around 15 seconds, but the wave energy is moderate at best (673). The wind’s blowing cross-off from the WNW at 20 km/h, which keeps it clean, but it’s just too small and weak to be worth a paddle. The forecast calls it marginal, and I’m with that.

Now, Saturday the 22nd is a serious beast. We get a massive pulse of swell – 4.0m from the WSW, with a combined energy reading of over 10,000. That’s a big, powerful groundswell. Problem is, the models are saying this is simply too big for Raffs Beach. Even with favourable wind early on, it’s going to be a washing machine. For the experienced crew, it’s a maybe, but this is more of a "watch from the carpark" kinda day for most.

By Sunday the 23rd, the swell drops back to a much more manageable 2.1m in the morning, easing to 1.7m in the afternoon. The period holds at a solid 13 seconds, so there’s proper energy in the water (2138 in the morning). Light, almost glassy cross-off winds from the NW and WNW make for clean conditions. This is a standout. For the surfer who can handle a bit of size, Sunday is the best on offer in the first week. The energy is moderate to strong, and the conditions are excellent. Raffs Beach is fairly consistent, so you can expect a few peaks.

Monday the 24th is another beauty, especially for the intermediate and up. Swell drops to 1.5m, but it’s clean with offshore breezes from the NNW at 15 km/h in the morning. The period holds at a great 14 seconds, giving the waves some push and shape. It won’t be as powerful as Sunday, but the quality will be very good. This is a close second for the week.

Tuesday the 25th is a tricky one. The swell bumps back up to 1.8m, and while the morning has rain and onshore wind, the afternoon goes glassy with a light S breeze. The period is a nice 13 seconds, and the energy is back up (1347). If you can score the afternoon window, it could be really fun and uncrowded, but you’ve gotta play the tide right.

After that, Wednesday the 26th is a write-off – strong SW winds and rain make for choppy, poor quality surf. Thursday the 27th is small and weak again, not worth a look.

Moving into the second week, the standout looks like Saturday the 5th of September. We see a long-range, very long period groundswell (17 seconds) coming in from the SW, at a solid 1.1m. Energy is strong (1343), and we’ve got fresh offshore winds from the NNW, so it will be clean. Even though it’s a longer period swell which can make beach breaks a bit straight, Raffs Beach can handle it. This is promising, but remember it’s a few weeks out, so keep an eye on it. The fresh offshore breeze is a big tick.

Just before that, Tuesday the 1st of September also looks promising for the experienced surfer. We get a 1.8m SW swell, period of 15 seconds, and it’s glassy in the morning. A very solid option if you want clean, powerful waves, but again, it’s for those who know what they’re doing.

Crowds at Raffs Beach can be a thing sometimes, but during these windows, especially mid-week, you should be able to find space.

So, to wrap it up: for the immediate future, Sunday the 23rd is your best bet. For the second week, pencil in Saturday the 5th of September, but keep an eye on the long-range forecasts. There’s a few poor days in between, but that’s just the nature of the coast.

Stay stoked, Rusty.

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