Scarborough Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s have a good look at what’s on the table for Scarborough Beach over the next couple of weeks.

We’re kicking off with a solid pulse of groundswell hitting on Sunday morning the 30th of August. The water’s sitting at 64°, which is just a touch cooler than average for this time of year—nothing too unusual, but you’ll feel it. That morning, the swell is 7 ft from the WSW, with a long 18-second period giving those waves some serious push and shape. The wind is light and cross-off from the ENE at just 3 mph, so things will be clean and lined up. This is the standout window. The combined swell energy is pumping at 2383, a proper moderate-to-strong energy level. It’s a bit much for beginners—over 5 ft—so this one’s for the experienced crew. The break is fairly consistent and exposed to the west, with an optimum direction from the west, so that swell direction is spot on. Just keep in mind, crowds are possible here sometimes.

Sunday afternoon, the wind swings onshore from the SW at 9 mph, and the surf gets a bit choppy and marginal. Not worth hanging around for.

Monday the 31st and Tuesday the 1st of September stay messy—mostly onshore or cross-on winds, lumpy conditions, and the swell drops to 5 ft–5 ft. Not great, not terrible, but you’d be fighting wind chop for mediocre waves.

Wednesday morning the 2nd of September is a bit better: 6 ft of WSW swell, 14-second period, light cross-on wind from the SW at 6 mph. It’s rideable but still a little bumpy. Moderate energy at 1280. Nothing to write home about.

Then we hit a rough patch from Thursday the 3rd through Saturday the 5th of September. Strong winds—up to 19–25 mph—and onshore all the way. The swell gets big, up to 10 ft–12 ft, but it’s blown out and messy. Thursday and Friday are write-offs. Saturday the 5th is even worse, with fresh to strong breezes and rain. Give it a miss.

Sunday the 6th of September sees a big 12 ft groundswell, but the wind is cross-shore and fresh at 19 mph. It’s lumpy, and the size is expert-only—way too big for most. The same goes for Monday the 7th, despite glassy conditions in the morning with 12 ft swell and a 17-second period. It looks incredible on paper, but that size is beyond what this break can handle comfortably for paddle surfing; you’d need to be extremely experienced, and even then, it’s a mission. The combined energy is huge at 7168—very strong.

Tuesday morning the 8th of September is a real gem. The swell drops to a more manageable 8 ft from the WSW, 16-second period, and the wind is light cross-off from the NNE at 9 mph. Clean lines, good energy at 2648. Still expert territory size-wise, but the conditions are excellent. This is another standout window.

Wednesday the 9th of September morning brings smaller 5 ft swell, but the wind goes offshore from the east at 6 mph. That’s clean, glassy conditions, and the energy is a lighter 943. A good day for the confident intermediate.

Thursday the 10th of September morning is another cracker: 7 ft WSW swell, 15-second period, light cross-off from the NNE at 6 mph. Clean again, with strong energy at 2034. Score.

After that, the outlook gets a bit shaky. Friday the 11th sees building swell up to 8 ft but onshore winds kick in, and the weekend of the 12th–13th of September is a write-off with fresh to strong breezes and poor conditions.

Then we have a final hopeful window on Monday morning the 14th of September: 8 ft swell from the WSW, 15-second period, and offshore wind from the east at just 3 mph. Glassy, clean, excellent for experienced surfers. Energy is solid at 2261. This one is promising but it’s 15 days out, so treat it with a bit of caution.

Overall, the two true standouts are Sunday morning the 30th of August and Tuesday morning the 8th of September. Both offer clean conditions, solid WSW groundswell, and good energy. The gaps in between are filled with onshore slop or oversized, blown-out surf. If you’re a beginner, there’s not much here for you except maybe Wednesday the 9th morning. For the experienced crew, pick your windows and get out there.

Rusty.

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