Scotts Head Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. The next couple of weeks are looking pretty scrappy for Scotts Head, to be honest. We’ve got a run of small, weak surf and tricky winds that’ll have you checking the forecast more than your board. But if you’re patient, there’s a serious window of power and size well down the line that could make it all worth it.

Things start off quiet. This Sunday morning the 16th, we’ve only got about 5ft of short-period S swell. It’s clean enough with a light cross-off breeze, but the energy is weak (326), so it’s pretty marginal. The afternoon bumps up a touch (364) with a cleaner offshore wind, but it’s still nothing to write home about. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Monday the 17th is more of the same – around 5ft from the SE, with a light offshore in the morning. It’s surfable, but the short period keeps it a bit mushy. Tuesday the 18th brings our first real highlight of the week. The swell drops slightly to 5ft, but it’s glassy as the ocean goes flat with the wind swinging light WSW. That’s clean, glassy, and the kind of morning where you’ll have the place a bit more to yourself. The energy is moderate (310), so it’s not powerful, but the conditions will make it feel better than the numbers suggest. The afternoon gets a bit lumpy with a cross-shore breeze, so make the most of the morning.

Wednesday the 19th is the pick of the first week. Swell builds to 5ft from the SE, period jumps to 10 seconds, and the energy is the strongest we’ve seen so far at (475). Light offshore winds in the morning will keep it clean and lined up. This is genuinely good, fun surf for the point, especially if you can get out before the onshore kicks in. The morning is the call here.

Then things fall apart a bit. Thursday the 20th and Friday the 21st are poor. Swell drops, winds turn onshore or cross-onshore, and the surface gets chopped up. The energy falls away, and the whole setup looks less like surfing and more like a fight. The weekend of the 22nd and 23rd is a mixed bag. Saturday the 22nd is clean with a glassy start, but the swell is weak and small – just 4ft. It’s surfable, but pretty ordinary.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Sunday the 23rd is the standout of the entire period. The swell pumps up to a solid 10ft from the south, with a 9-second period and a massive energy reading of (1347). The wind is light offshore, and it’s clean. This is serious, powerful surf – well overhead and pushing hard. This is for experienced surfers only; if you’re a beginner, stay on the beach. It’s a true highlight, and the kind of day that makes the wait worth it.

After that, it backs off quickly. Monday the 24th turns messy with onshore winds and lumpy conditions, and the swell drops back to 4ft. Not good. Tuesday the 25th is cleaner with a light cross-off breeze and the swell around 4ft from the south, but it’s small – a fun little day, nothing more.

Looking further out, there’s another pulse of long-period swell arriving around Wednesday the 26th. We’re looking at 6ft from the south with a period stretching to 14-16 seconds. The energy is strong (1194), and the winds are cross-off and clean. This is a promising day, but it’s a long way out, so don’t get too locked in just yet. There’s also a note that with that long period, the point should handle it better than a beach break, but mornings might be a bit sketchy on the tide.

The rest of that week is small and clean, but the energy is low. A few glassy mornings, but nothing that gets the heart racing. The final two days of the month are small and mostly blown out by onshore winds, so it’s time to rest up and wait for September.

So, bottom line: get out Wednesday the 19th for the best of the smaller stuff, and circle Sunday the 23rd in big letters – that’s the one that’s got some real teeth. It comes with a warning, though: that size at Scotts Head is serious. Don’t paddle out if you’re not ready for it.

Rusty.

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