Raffs Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Raffs Beach.

We’ve got a solid run of surf coming up, but it’s a tale of two halves. The first week has some real nice, clean waves for the experienced crew, but then it just gets too big for this spot. For the beginners, the early part of the window is your window, but you’ll want to be careful later on.

Water temp is sitting at 56°, which is pretty spot on for this time of year, nothing unusual there.

The action kicks off on Friday morning, August 28. We’ve got a 4ft SW groundswell rolling in with a very long 18-second period. The combined energy is huge at 1434 (moderate wave energy), so there’s some proper grunt in the water. Wind is a clean cross-off from the WNW at 9 mph, so it’ll be looking good. It’s a touch on the small side, but for a beginner-friendly spot like Raffs, it’s a fun, manageable size for a Friday session.

Saturday morning, August 29, the swell picks up to 5ft from the SW, period dropping to 14 seconds. Still a decent groundswell. Morning glass-off with light WNW winds at 6 mph will make for some clean lines. This is where it starts to get more interesting.

Sunday, August 30, is a standout. Morning sees a clean 6ft SW swell with a 13-second period, and the wind is next to nothing from the WNW at 3 mph. The combined energy is up to 1134 (moderate), and conditions are looking excellent for experienced surfers. This is the pick of the first few days – clean, solid, and plenty of push.

Monday, August 31, holds that quality. Another 6ft SW groundswell, period back up to 14 seconds, energy at 1579 (moderate). The wind is a glassy NNW breeze at 3 mph in the morning. More excellent conditions for those who know what they’re doing.

Tuesday, September 1, the wind picks up to a moderate 16 mph offshore from the N, but the swell drops a touch to 6ft. It’ll be clean, but that wind might put a bit of a wobble on it. Still surfable for the keen ones.

From Wednesday, September 2, through to Thursday, September 3, we’ve got consistent 6ft to 7ft SW swell with moderate cross-off winds. It’s all marginal surf forecast, but the energy is moderate and the conditions are clean. Not the best, but not a write-off.

Then, Friday, September 4, the big stuff starts rolling in. We’re looking at a 10ft SW swell on Friday morning, jumping to a massive 15ft WSW by the afternoon. The combined energy rockets up to 11769 (very strong wave energy). This is way too big for Raffs Beach. This spot can’t handle that size, so it’s a no-go for paddle surfing. If you’ve got a kite, it might be interesting, but for a board, forget it.

This over-sized swell pattern continues through the weekend and into the next week. Saturday, September 5, has 12ft to 10ft. Sunday, September 6, a 16ft SW on Sunday afternoon. Monday, September 7, 15ft. Tuesday, September 8, 12ft. All of these are well over the 8ft mark, meaning expert-only if it even breaks properly. The wind also gets messy with strong breezes and cross-shore chop, so the quality is poor.

There’s a bit of a reprieve on Wednesday, September 9, with the swell dropping back to 6ft, but the wind is onshore, so it won’t be great.

Thursday, September 10, looks promising again. A 7ft SW groundswell with a very long 18-second period rolls in, and the morning wind is a light cross-off from the WNW at 6 mph. Combined energy is 2565 (strong wave energy). Excellent conditions for experienced surfers – that long period will put some real shape into the waves.

After that, Friday, September 11, the swell fades to 4ft, and the winds turn cross-onshore, so it’ll be a small, bumpy day.

Saturday, September 12 brings one last pulse of energy, but it’s another 10ft to 12ft SW swell, far too big for this break.

So, to sum it up for Raffs Beach: the best on offer is Sunday, August 30, and Monday, August 31, for clean, solid, experienced-level waves. And then keep an eye on Thursday, September 10, for another shot at some quality, long-period groundswell. The rest of the time, either it’s too big, or the wind spoils it.

Rusty.

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