Shelley Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's cookin' over the next couple of weeks.

First off, it's a bit of a slow start. The water temp is sitting right around 65°, which is pretty much spot on for this time of year, so at least the water feels normal. Don't expect much for the first few days, though. The swell is tiny and the conditions are just ordinary. We've got a bit of a wait on our hands.

The first real glimmer of hope shows up on the 4th of September, Friday morning. Shelley Beach is looking at a clean 3 ft swell from the south, with a solid 11-second period. The wind is glassy, dead calm. That's the kind of morning you wake up early for. The combined energy is moderate (251), and it’s going to be a clean little session. This is the standout of the whole outlook, no question.

Friday afternoon takes a turn, with a cross-onshore wind messing things up, and then it's a mixed bag for the next few days. There's a bit more size on the 6th and 7th, but the wind direction is never quite right, and the conditions are described as poor or marginal. You'll see a bump in energy on the 6th (461) and 7th (289), but it's just not clean.

We get a bit of a spike in swell energy around the 10th and 11th of September. Thursday the 10th sees an 8 ft swell from the SSE, but the wind is a cross-shore mess, and the energy is strong (1075). This is big, but it's windy and ugly. Friday the 11th has a 7 ft swell from the SSE with a long 12-second period, energy is very strong (1414), but again, it's a cross-onshore wind. For a beach break like Shelley, that long period groundswell can be a bit too straight, and with the wind, it's a pass.

After that, the swell drops right off and the wind becomes a constant problem. There's a lot of days with nothing but poor conditions and tiny, weak swell. The period from the 13th to the 15th is a real dead zone.

Then, out of the blue, the 16th of September, Wednesday afternoon, shows some promise. It's a 4 ft south swell with a nice 10-second period, and the wind is a clean offshore breeze from the WNW. The combined energy is moderate (354), and it's described as "expect good surf conditions". This is a promising second option for the long haul, but it's a long way off. Keep an eye on it.

For the rest of the time, it's a lot of waiting. The consistent theme here is that the wind and swell just don't line up. If you're desperate, Friday the 4th morning is your best bet. The 16th afternoon is a promising long shot.

Rusty, signing off.

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