Shelley Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s shaping up for Shelley Beach over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the start of this outlook is a bit of a slow burner. For the first few days, from Sunday the 16th right through to Wednesday the 20th, the surf is pretty ordinary. It’s small, mostly under 3ft, and the wind’s often messy. You’ll be looking at a lot of poor surf conditions with very little energy in the water. Not really worth paddling out for.

The first real chance to wet a line comes on Thursday the 20th in the morning. It’s not big, just 3ft from the ESE, but the wind is a light cross-offshore breeze, so it’s clean. The energy is weak, and the waves are just surfable. It’s a small window, but it’s something.

Friday the 21st and Saturday the 22nd mornings are similar – small (2ft to 3ft) from the ENE, but with a clean, gentle offshore wind. The energy is still low, but the conditions are clean. For a patient soul on a longboard, it’s doable, but you won’t be getting any bombs.

Now, hold onto your board, because Tuesday the 25th of August is the real standout. The morning brings a solid 7ft swell from the south, and the energy jumps right up – that’s some serious power. The swell period is 11 seconds, a proper groundswell, so it’ll have shape. The wind is a moderate cross-shore, which isn’t perfect, but it’s workable. However, this is big. Over 8ft in the afternoon (8ft from the south, 13-second period), so this is strictly for the experts. Beginners, stay on the beach and watch. For everyone else, this is the best energy on offer, but it’s going to be a heavy, powerful day. The cross-onshore wind in the afternoon is going to make it lumpy, so the morning is your only chance to get a piece of it.

The rest of the second week fades back into small, low-energy swell, with a few glimmers of clean conditions on the 29th and 31st in the mornings. But honestly, the main story is that Tuesday the 25th. It’s the only one that’s really got the size and power to get the heart pumping, even if the wind isn’t perfect.

The water temp is sitting at 63°F, which is about 2°F cooler than average for this time of year – nothing to write home about, just a normal late winter chill.

Rusty.

Read more