Rainbow Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, Rainbow Bay’s gonna be a bit of a mixed bag over the next couple of weeks. We’ve got some pulsey SSE swell coming through, but the wind is going to be a real pain in the arse for most of it. The water temp’s sitting at 68°, which is about what you’d expect for this time of year, nothing unusual.

The first real chance to get wet kicks off on Friday, August 14th in the afternoon. There’s a 5ft SSE swell rolling in with a short 9-second period, and the wind is a cross-off from the SSE. The combined energy is moderate at 403, but the conditions are just poor. It’s not looking great, honestly.

Moving into Saturday, August 15th, the morning cleans up a bit. Swell is 5ft from the SSE, period is short at 7 seconds, and the wind turns offshore from the S. It’s surfable, but the energy is moderate (257) and the conditions are just ordinary. The afternoon sees the swell drop to 5ft with the same short period, and the wind stays offshore, but it’s still nothing to write home about.

Sunday, August 16th is much the same. Morning has 6ft SSE swell (7 seconds), solid offshore wind, and moderate energy at 376. It’s surfable but ordinary. The afternoon picks up to 6ft, but the wind swings cross-off and the conditions go poor.

Monday, August 17th sees the swell build to 7ft from the SE with an 8-second period. The wind is cross-off all day. The combined energy is strong at 569 in the morning and 562 in the afternoon, but it’s still marginal at best. This is getting a bit much for beginners, and the wind is ruining the shape.

Tuesday, August 18th is a repeat – 7ft ESE swell in the morning, dropping to 6ft in the afternoon. The wind is a light cross-off from the SSE, so the energy is still strong (571 and 511), but the quality is only marginal. It’s a lot of water moving but not much fun.

Now, here’s where we get a bit of a look in. Wednesday, August 19th is the standout. The swell drops to 5ft from the SE, but the period jumps to a long 11 seconds. The wind is offshore from the SSE, and the energy is strong at 565 in the morning and 571 in the afternoon. The forecast says “expect good surf conditions.” This is the real deal. That long period will give the wave some proper shape, and with the offshore flow, it’s going to be clean. The point breaks are going to love this. This is your best bet in the whole window.

Thursday, August 20th is a letdown. The swell drops to 3ft, period shortens to 9 seconds, and the wind goes cross-off then cross. Energy is moderate (247). It’s ordinary.

From Friday, August 21st through Saturday, August 22nd, the swell is tiny (2ft to 3ft) with onshore winds. There’s a gap of no real surf for a few days here. The energy is weak (110 to 128). It’s flat.

Sunday, August 23rd sees a return of 5ft SSE swell with a short 7-second period and offshore wind in the morning. Energy is moderate at 292. It’s surfable but ordinary again. The afternoon gets messy with a fresh cross-off.

Monday, August 24th is back to small 3ft swell with a 10-second period, but the wind is a fresh cross-off. Energy is moderate (235). Not worth it.

Tuesday, August 25th looks interesting on paper – 7ft S swell with an 8-second period, and the combined energy jumps to a strong 863. But the wind is a strong cross-off from the SE and the conditions are poor. That’s a lot of energy being wasted by the wind. For the experts, it might be a challenge, but for most, it’s a miss.

Wednesday, August 26th through Thursday, August 27th is all small, poor conditions. 3ft to 4ft swell, cross or cross-on winds, moderate energy. Nothing to see here.

The last real chance is Friday, August 28th morning. There’s a 4ft SSE swell with a 10-second period, light cross-off wind, and moderate energy at 301. It’s surfable but ordinary. The afternoon gets blown out.

Truth is, Wednesday, August 19th is the only proper standout. That offshore flow and the long period swell on the SE is going to make Rainbow Bay look like a proper wave. Get on it early.

Rusty.

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