Shelley Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, mate, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for us.

We’ve got a bit of a mixed bag comin’ up over the next couple of weeks at Shelley Beach. The first few days are pretty ordinary thanks to onshore winds and short, choppy seas, but we do have a couple of standout windows that’ll get the blood pumpin’ if you play your cards right.

The water’s sittin’ at 64°F with an anomaly of just -0.9°F, so that’s about average for this time of year – nothing to write home about, but you won’t need a thick steamer.

The first real highlight is shaping up for Friday morning, 28 August. We’ve got some 5ft groundswell rollin’ in from the SSE, with a long period of 11 seconds, and the glassy conditions with zero wind will make it clean as a whistle. The swell energy is at 639 (moderate), but the quality of those waves should be topnotch – expect very good surf conditions. This is your best bet in the early window. Shelley Beach is a consistent, exposed spot, and with the swell comin’ from the optimum SE direction, it’s gonna line up nicely. Crowds are sometimes there, so you might have a few mates out, but it’s worth it.

After that, we get a bit of a slump. The swell picks up again on Saturday morning, 29 August, with a 7ft SSE swell, but the energy is cranked up to 1595 (strong) and the wind is cross-on, making it messy. It’s a bit too big for beginners and the quality’s marginal – better suited for the more experienced crew if you’re desperate.

Sunday 30 August has a small, clean window in the morning with 3ft SSW swell, glassy, but the energy is only 238 (weak). It’s a nice little session if you’re on a log or a funboard, but not a standout.

The next serious highlight comes later. Monday 7 September sees a 8ft S swell with 1240 energy (strong) – that’s a big one, but the wind is cross-shore, so it’s gonna be a bit of a battle. Only for experts, and the conditions are marginal.

But hold on to your board – Tuesday 8 September morning is the real gem. We’ve got 5ft S swell with a period of 12 seconds, and the energy is 627 (moderate). The wind is NNE at 3 mph, so it’s cross-off and clean. Expect very good surf conditions. This one’s a beauty, and it’s consistent, so get out there. The swell direction is bang on for the optimum SE.

Then, on Thursday 10 September morning, another solid window: 5ft S swell, 11-second period, 596 energy, and offshore NW wind at 6 mph. That’s clean, lined-up, and well-shaped. Again, very good surf conditions.

So, to sum it up: your absolute best windows are Friday 28 August morning, Tuesday 8 September morning, and Thursday 10 September morning. The rest of the time, it’s either too small, too windy, or too messy. The long period swells (over 11 seconds) will have some extra push and longer gaps between sets, so paddlin’ out won’t be a chore. Shelley Beach is a beach break, so those long-period swells might break a bit straight – but with the right wind, it’ll still be fun.

Stay sharp, keep an eye on the wind, and don’t sleep on those clean mornings.

Rusty.

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