Rye Ocean Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, looking at what’s on offer for Rye Ocean Beach over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, the first few days are a write-off. Friday morning (21st August) is already messy with a cross-on breeze and choppy water, and we’re not getting anything rideable until Sunday the 23rd. That’s almost 48 hours of waiting.

Sunday the 23rd is the real standout here. Morning sees a clean 8 ft SW swell (period 14 seconds), with a lovely cross-off breeze from the NNW that’ll keep the faces tidy. The wave energy is dialled right up (2711), so there’s solid power in the water. The afternoon is even better—7 ft SW swell with a 16-second groundswell period and a glassy offshore from the NNE at just 6 mph. We’re talking absolute perfection on the face. The water temp is sitting at 56°F, which is pretty much what you’d expect for this time of year—nothing wild.

This break is a beach and reef setup, exposed to the SW, and those long-period south swells can be a bit straight at the beach, but with such clean winds and that reef in the mix, it’ll line up nicely. It’s fairly consistent, so you’ll get your waves. Beware though—crowds can be a thing here sometimes. Also, a heads-up: these swells are over 7 ft so this is expert territory, not one for beginners.

Monday the 24th drops back to 5 ft–5 ft SW swell with a clean cross-off wind, but it’s marginal—tide-dependent and only scoring a low internal feel. Still, the water will be smooth. Tuesday morning is similar (6 ft), but the breeze holds clean; afternoon goes to junk with onshore wind and rain.

Wednesday the 26th is blown out completely—strong onshore winds and lumpy 10 ft swell—no good. Thursday the 27th brings a sweet 4 ft SW groundswell (14 seconds) and a light offshore from the NNE in the afternoon—real clean waves, but small tide-sensitive surf. That’s worth a look for a log or a fish.

Friday the 28th morning kicks up to 7 ft SW with a very long 18-second period, and a clean cross-off breeze. It’s a big, powerful swell (2661 energy) and again, too big for beginners. Saturday and Sunday the 29th–30th are a write-off with strong onshores and poor conditions.

Then we hit the next true highlight: Tuesday the 1st of September, afternoon session. The swell is 7 ft SW with a 16-second period, and the wind is light onshore from the SW at just 6 mph. The conditions are favourable, though on the big side (2534 energy). This is still expert-only.

Wednesday the 2nd of September morning holds clean with a 7 ft SW swell and a cross-off from the NNW. The afternoon is the pick of that day—6 ft SW, 15-second period, light offshores from the north (9 mph), and the forecast says excellent for experienced surfers (1600 energy). A solid second standout, but less certain this far out.

After that, Thursday the 3rd is blown out by a strong 28 mph north wind, and Friday the 4th gets messy again with cross-onshore chop, plus an 8 ft bump late that’s just ugly. Saturday the 5th of September morning has a 10 ft SW groundswell with clean cross-off winds, but we’re talking massive, powerful surf (4915 energy)—not for the faint of heart.

Overall, the best on offer is Sunday the 23rd of August. Next best is Wednesday the 2nd of September afternoon, but that’s a long way out. There are gaps, but the surf will come back.

Rusty.

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