Saint Annes Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, this is Rusty. Let’s be straight with you about Saint Annes. This is a sheltered reef break, so it needs a specific swell window. The next 16 days? It’s a frustrating watch, to be honest. The swell is mostly small, the wind is a problem, and it never really lines up. There’s a long stretch of nothing surfable, but a couple of mornings in the second week start to look a bit more promising.

Right now, from Sunday 23rd August onward, it’s a write-off. The swell is tiny, the wind is blowing cross or cross-onshore, and the water’s got a bit of a ruffle on it. The combined swell energy is weak to moderate (297–355), and the waves are just poor. Honestly, the first week is a blank. You’re looking at a gap of nearly a week before there’s even a glimmer.

The first real standout comes on Friday morning, 28th August. The wind is light and cross-offshore, and the forecast says “clean.” The swell is a tiny 3 ft from the SSW, with a long period of 19 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell, so it’ll have some shape, but it’s small. The combined energy is moderate (727). It’s a reef break, so that long period works in its favour, but don’t expect much power. It’s the best on offer, and it’s still only a marginal session. Crowds are often here, so you might have some company.

The next sniff of something better is on the morning of Saturday 29th, with a 4 ft SSW swell at 17 seconds, but the wind is cross and the energy is higher (1009). Still, the surf quality is “marginal” at best. Tuesday morning 1st September brings a 4 ft WNW swell, but it’s a short period of 7 seconds and cross-onshore wind. Not great.

The second week starts to get a bit more interesting, but it’s still borderline. Thursday 3rd September afternoon has a 3 ft SSW swell with a very long 20-second period, and the combined energy jumps to 1472. That’s a lot of energy for such a small wave. The wind is light cross-onshore, so it might be a bit bumpy, but the long period could make it rideable. The Friday 4th September morning is similar – 4 ft from the SSW, 18 seconds, and a very light cross-onshore breeze. The energy is 1239. It’s a “marginal” call, but if you’re desperate, that’s your window. Saturday 5th morning is still in the mix with 4 ft SSW, 16 seconds, and light cross-onshore wind. Anything after that fades out quickly.

The water temperature is sitting around 62°F, which is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there.

The only real standout is that Friday 28th August morning. It’s small, but it’s clean. The rest is a waiting game. If you’re a beginner, watch out for the days when the swell pushes over 5 ft – like the 8 ft on Sunday 30th afternoon – that’s probably too much for you. And the 8 ft mark on Wednesday 2nd September afternoon is only for the experienced crew.

It’s a tough run for Saint Annes. When it’s this inconsistent, you just have to wait for the next change in the pattern.

Rusty.

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