Rainbow Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let’s look at what Rainbow Bay has cooking over the next couple of weeks. Honestly, it’s a bit of a bleak stretch for the most part, but there are a couple of moments that might get your heart beating.

We start off this Sunday, the 30th of August, with some lumpy, average energy. Swell is around 6ft from the SSE, but it’s short-period at 7 seconds, so it’s a bit weak and wonky. The wind is offshore from the south, which is a huge plus – keeps the surface clean. The combined energy is 338 (moderate), but the wave shape isn't going to be anything special. It’s surfable, but you’ll be working for it.

Monday the 31st stays similar, with a slightly smaller 5ft SSE swell. Offshore wind holds in the morning, giving you clean little lines. The period creeps up to 9 seconds, which adds a touch more push, but the energy drops to 359. Still just ordinary, rideable waves.

Tuesday the 1st of September sees the swell drop right off to 3ft. The wind swings light offshore from the ESE in the morning, so it'll be glassy and clean, but there's barely any power – just 180 energy (weak). Afternoon gets a bit worse as an onshore breeze messes up the surface. This spot is sheltered from the south-east, and with the swell coming from SSE, it does get in, but there’s just not enough to get excited about.

From Wednesday the 2nd right through to the end of the first week and into the second, the surf just fades out. We're looking at tiny waves, mostly under 2ft, with cross-onshore or onshore winds and combined energy dropping below 100 (very weak). The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing wild. It’s a real flat spell, and Rainbow Bay is going to look like a lake for days on end.

Then, far off on Thursday the 10th of September – over a week away – something pops up. The swell jumps to 7ft from the SSE, with a period of 10 seconds. The combined energy shoots up to 742 (strong). This is the standout of the entire outlook. But there’s a catch: the wind is from the ENE early, which is cross-shore, and later it turns to a cross-onshore. That's going to chop things up and make it hard to get a clean face. At 7ft, this is solid, getting too big for beginners, but still workable for most experienced surfers. The long 10-second period will bring bigger gaps between sets, so paddling out won't be as brutal.

After that, it drops again. Friday the 11th has 4ft from the SSE but with onshore winds – messy. Then it’s back to tiny windswell through the rest of the run.

So, the honest truth: if you’re desperate for a paddle, the morning of Sunday the 30th or Monday the 31st are your best bets for clean, small waves. The real highlight is Thursday the 10th of September, but you’ll have to deal with questionable wind. It’s not a classic. For now, our sheltered point isn’t firing, and the setup might even be more interesting for a kite than a surfboard on the bigger day. Keep an eye on the long-range, but don’t sell your gear yet.

Stay frothy.
Rusty

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