Redhead Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's get into it, mate. Straight up, the next 16 days at Redhead are looking pretty grim. We've got a long, dry spell of barely a ripple for the best part of a week before we even see a hint of a proper wave. The good news is that it's a reef setup, so it can handle a bit of swell when it comes, but the wind is going to be a constant battle.

Right now, for the first few days, it's flat. We're talking about a whole week of nothing. From Wednesday the 5th right through to Saturday the 8th, the swell is tiny, barely 1ft to 2ft from the east with a short period. The combined energy is pathetic – in the single digits to low 30s. It's not even worth looking at. On Saturday morning, the 8th, it's glassy, but there's only 1ft of 7-second swell with a combined energy of just 9. It's a lake, not a surf break.

Then we get a bit of a pulse. Sunday the 9th, the morning looks the best of the whole run. The swell bumps up to 3ft from the east at 9 seconds (combined energy of 103), with a clean, offshore breeze from the NNW. That's a solid, surfable little wave for a beginner. The wind is offshore, so it'll be clean. But it's still small, and the crowd factor at Redhead is 'sometimes', so you might have a few mates out. The afternoon holds up with 3ft and a cross-off breeze, but it's not as good.

After that, it's back to rubbish. The wind gets nasty. Monday the 10th has a 3ft swell from the ENE, but it's howling a cross-off at 22 mph. That's a strong breeze, and the combined energy is 177, but with that wind, it'll be a mess. The rest of that week and into the next is a write-off – tiny 1ft to 2ft swells with onshore or cross-shore winds.

The second week is a bit more promising in size but not in quality. The 15th of August sees a 3ft swell from the ESE, but it's onshore or cross-onshore again. The 16th of August has a slightly bigger 3ft swell from the ESE with a longer 11-second period (combined energy of 197), but it's still cross-onshore and rainy. The 17th of August has the biggest swell of the whole period – 4ft from the SE on Monday morning, with a combined energy of 384. But it's onshore at 16 mph. That's a lot of wind-chop. It's too big for beginners at 4ft, and with that wind, it's only for the most dedicated experts.

Finally, on Thursday the 20th of August, we get a flash of hope. The morning is glassy, with a 3ft swell from the SE at 10 seconds. The combined energy is a solid 248. It's still surfable but very ordinary conditions according to the data. The wind is calm, so it'll be clean, but the swell direction isn't ideal for this spot. The afternoon is a write-off with a cross-shore breeze.

The water temperature here is 64°F, which is about 1°F cooler than normal for this time of year. Nothing unusual there.

So, the standout? Honestly, there isn't one. The best on offer is Sunday the 9th of August, morning. That 3ft east swell with the offshore NNW wind is your only real chance for a clean, manageable wave. It's small, but it's the best of a bad bunch. The bigger swells later in the second week are just too wind-affected. If you're desperate, keep an eye on the 20th with the glassy conditions, but it's a long shot.

Rusty.

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