Rainbow Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, listen up. Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

The main action is all about Rainbow Bay, a sheltered point break. It’s not going to be flat, but we’re looking at a long, drawn-out period of so-so surf before a proper pulse arrives right at the tail end of the forecast. The water temp is sitting at 68°F, which is pretty average for this time of year, so nothing wild there.

The first week is a bit of a grind. Starting off Monday the 17th, we’ve got a lumpy 7 ft of swell from the SE with a short, weak 8-second period, combined energy is moderate (492). The wind is a cross-off, so the surface will be clean enough, but the forecast is a bit marginal. It stays like that through Tuesday and Wednesday the 19th, with the swell dropping a bit. Wednesday afternoon, however, sees the swell period stretch to 11 seconds, making it a proper groundswell. The energy jumps up to 758. Even though it’s only 5 ft, that longer period will give it some push and the light breeze makes for clean waves. That Wednesday arvo session is probably the best of the first week, but it’s only a 2 out of 10 on the quality scale.

From Thursday the 20th onward, things get more ordinary. The swell drops under 3 ft with short periods. There is a window on Thursday afternoon with glassy conditions and a tiny 5 ft ESE swell, and then again on the morning of Sunday the 23rd we get clean, offshore winds on a tiny 3 ft wave. You’ll be on a longboard, and you’ll be fighting for scraps. The crowd factor is something you need to think about here – Rainbow Bay is a point break that’s often busy, so expect plenty of company.

Monday the 24th through to Saturday the 29th of August is a proper lull. We’re looking at tiny, weak surf with poor conditions for the most part. There are a few glassy mornings on the 25th, 26th, and 27th with tiny swell, but you’re really scratching around for a knee-high wave. It’s a proper gap in the action.

Now, here’s the standout. If you can hold out, the very end of the window gets interesting. On the 30th of August, Sunday morning, the wind goes offshore and a 4 ft S swell with a long 11-second period arrives. The combined energy is 554. That’s a solid option. But the real highlight is the morning of Monday the 31st of August. We’re looking at a 8 ft SSE swell, with offshore winds. The energy rockets up to 767. That is a proper, solid, point-break swell. Just a heads up, at 8 ft, this is expert territory. For the morning, that wave is going to be perfect. The afternoon gets even bigger, hitting 10 ft with the energy surging to 1104, but the tide or conditions might make it a bit tricky. Tuesday the 1st of September the swell drops back but holds at a clean 6 ft with offshore winds and moderate energy (499). That’s a solid wrap-up.

So, the call is simple. The next week is a longboard grind. The standout is unequivocally the morning of Monday the 31st of August. That’s your session. Mark it down, but be warned, that size is for the experienced crew only.

Rusty.

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