Rye Ocean Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s cut straight to it. The next couple of weeks at Rye Ocean Beach are a mixed bag—there’s some proper swell on the way, but it’s going to be a waiting game for the windows where the wind and tide line up.

First up, Thursday the 27th of August looks like the pick of the early session. We’ve got a clean 3.6ft SW swell pushing in with a light northerly breeze, making for some tidy conditions. Water temp’s sitting at 56.1°, which is about average for this time of year—nothing crazy, just normal. The combined energy is moderate (685), so there’s a bit of push behind it, but it’s still user-friendly. This is the one to be out for if you want a relaxed paddle.

Friday the 28th gets a bit more interesting but messier. The morning’s a write-off with a cross-shore chop, but the afternoon brings a jump to 6.9ft from the SW. That’s getting solid, and with a 17-second period, there’s real groundswell in the water. The wind is onshore though, so it’ll be lumpy. It’s not ideal, but if you’re keen and can handle a bit of push, there’s juice.

The weekend—Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th—is mostly marginal. Swell hangs around 5.6-6.6ft, but the wind’s cross-on and choppy, so it’s not worth getting excited about. Monday the 31st flips it. Morning’s clean with a cross-off breeze and 6.9ft SW swell, and by the afternoon it goes glassy with a light NE breeze. This is a standout—clean, solid, and decent period (14 seconds). Just be aware that 6.9ft is pushing past the beginner zone; it’s more for the boys who know what they’re doing.

Tuesday the 1st gets blown out by a strong 28 mph cross-off wind. The waves are there, 5.6-5.9ft, but it’ll be a battle. Skip it. Wednesday the 2nd is poor—cross-onshore and choppy, no fun. Thursday the 3rd has a solid 7.5ft SW swell with a fresh NW cross-off in the morning, which could be alright for the experienced crew, but the afternoon turns lumpy.

Then we hit the bigger stuff. From Friday the 4th through Sunday the 6th of September, the swell builds to 7.9ft, then 8.2ft, then a proper 9.8ft by Saturday afternoon. That’s expert territory—over 8.2ft is only for the skilled. The energy is strong (1860-3791), so there’s plenty of grunt. The wind’s mostly cross or on, so it’ll be challenging. If you’re a kite surfer, this stretch might look more appealing than a paddle.

Monday the 7th is a mess—strong onshore winds near gale force, and the swell is all over the place. Not worth it. Tuesday the 8th drops off and stays poor. The rest of the week into the 9th and 10th is a mix of marginal and too-big. The morning of the 10th has a 9.8ft SW swell with clean cross-off winds, but that’s a big one—only for the brave.

The real standout for the second week is Friday the 11th of September. The swell drops back to 5.9ft from the SW, light offshore NNW wind in the morning, and it’s clean. The energy’s moderate (1319), the period’s 14 seconds, and conditions look excellent for experienced surfers. This is the one to circle on the calendar. Afternoon’s a bit smaller and cross-shore, but still okay.

So, the short version: don’t rush out for the weekend. Thursday the 27th is a nice warm-up, Monday the 31st is the first real standout, and Friday the 11th looks like the best of the longer range—though, as with anything that far out, treat it as promising but not locked in.

Stay salty.

Read more