Rye Ocean Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for Rye Ocean Beach.

This is a tricky stretch. We’ve got some serious size coming through, but it's a bit of a double-edged sword. The water temp is sitting at a mild 56° right now, which is about what you'd expect for late August – nothing to write home about, just your average late-summer cool.

First real chance to get wet slinks in on Thursday the 27th afternoon. The swell drops a notch to 4ft from the SW with a nice 14-second groundswell, and more importantly, we get a light offshore breeze from the NNE. That's the clean stuff, glassy faces. The energy is moderate at 638 (combined energy), so it's not firing, but for a beginner-friendly spot it'll be fun, clean little waves. This is the pick of the early days.

Friday the 28th morning looks messy with a cross-onshore, but then things get... interesting. By Friday afternoon, a big 7ft SW groundswell (17-second period, very long) rolls in, with 2653 energy. But this break can't handle that much water. It’s too big for most, expert territory only, and the 9 mph onshore wind won't help.

The weekend gets blown out, but look at Sunday the 30th. The morning has a light onshore with 6ft SW swell – marginal but clean enough. Then Sunday afternoon, it pumps up to 8ft SW with a 16-second period, massive energy of 4162. Same problem, though – it's too big for this break and the cross-onshore breeze will chop it up.

Now, Monday the 31st of August is where the real stand-out window is. We’ve got that 8ft SW swell rolling in at 15 seconds, but here’s the kicker: a light cross-offshore breeze from the N. That means the faces will be clean as a whistle with that big groundswell power behind it. The energy is 2365 (moderate to strong), but honestly, for a reef-and-beach setup, this swell is going to be big, clean, and powerful. It's too big for learners, no doubt about it, but for anyone with a bit of experience, Monday morning and afternoon at Rye Ocean Beach will be the standout session of this whole run. It’s a proper swell with good wind.

After Tuesday the 1st of September, the wind goes bonkers. We get a stretch of clean but massive waves, but it’s consistently over 7ft and that’s pushing the limits of this break. The entire second week is dominated by big, clean but oversized swells hitting 7ft to 8ft from the SW with very long periods, all of them too big for the setup. The wind is cross-off or offshore, but the volume of water is the issue. You’d need a big board and a lot of confidence, or a kite.

From the 7th of September onwards, the wind turns fully onshore or cross-onshore and strong, making a mess of the 5ft to 8ft swells. The final days are just raw, windy, and blown out. Not worth paddling out.

So, to keep it simple: Thursday arvo (27th) is your fun, clean little wave day. But the absolute standout, the one you wait for, is Monday the 31st of August. Early doors, cross-offshore breeze, that 8ft SW groundswell. Clean and powerful, just watch the size.

Rusty.

Read more