Scarborough Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the first few days are a write-off. We’ve got some serious swell running, but the wind is just howling. Friday afternoon (7th August) sees a solid 8ft WSW groundswell hitting Scarborough Beach, but with a 12 mph onshore wind, it’s going to be a messy, blown-out affair. The water is a chilly 63°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year.

The real story here is about waiting for the light winds. The first true standout doesn't show up until Tuesday morning, 11th August. Now, this is a big one for experienced surfers only. The swell is cranking at 15ft from the WSW with a very long 17-second period – that’s a massive groundswell with a ton of energy (11845). The water will be churning. But the wind is a light, clean cross-offshore from the SSE, so the faces will be absolutely pristine. This is the kind of day that gets the heart pumping, but if you’re not a pro, stay on the sand. It’s too big for anyone but experts.

The whole week after that is a bit of a mixed bag, with moderate onshore winds keeping things choppy. But then we get another couple of gems. The standout session for the cleaner, more manageable conditions is Friday afternoon, 14th August. The swell drops to a nice 7ft from the WSW, still a solid 16-second period, and the wind goes glassy. Glassy! That’s a 3 mph breeze from the east, making for perfect, smooth conditions. The energy is still decent (2075), so you’ll have plenty of punch. This is your best bet for a clean, fun session without the heavy stuff.

The following week is a bit of a gamble. There’s a similar window on Saturday afternoon, 15th August, with 6ft swell and glassy conditions again, but the swell is a bit smaller. By Sunday morning, 16th August, we get a clean 8ft swell with a light cross-offshore breeze, so that’s another one to circle. After that, the wind turns nasty again, with a long stretch of poor surf from the 18th right through to the 22nd of August, where strong onshore winds and messy conditions take over. The final day on the 22nd has a 10ft swell, but it’s a short period and onshore, so it’s not looking good.

So, to wrap it up: the absolute best of the best is Tuesday morning, 11th August for the big-wave experts, and Friday afternoon, 14th August for the rest of us wanting clean, glassy lines. The rest of the time, you’ll be fighting the wind.

Rusty.

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