Shelley Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, let's talk waves.

Right, to be honest, the next couple of weeks are looking pretty lean for Shelley Beach. We’ve got a bit of a wait on our hands before anything really gets going. The good news is that the water temp is sitting at 64°F, which is pretty standard for this time of year, so no nasty surprises there.

Let’s start with Wednesday the 12th. It’s a bit of a letdown honestly. We’ve got some waist-high swell coming in from the S at 4ft with a period of 10 seconds, and a combined energy of 265 (moderate). The wind is a cross-off from the W, so it won't be completely blown out, but it's only scoring as a marginal session. If you’re desperate, you could get a few, but don’t expect much.

Thursday the 13th is a write-off. The wind is either onshore or cross-shore, the swell is messy, and the period drops right off. Friday the 14th is the one to circle for the first week. The morning is looking magic – a glassy forecast with the wind swinging to the WSW at only 3 mph and a clean 3ft S swell. The energy is 222 (moderate), and with that glassy surface, Shelley should be clean and fun for a grovel. It won’t be big, but the quality will be there.

After that, it gets ugly. From Saturday the 15th right through to Sunday the 23rd, we’re looking at a lot of onshore wind and choppy surf. The swell does get a little bigger mid-week around the 17th, hitting 6ft, but with a short period from the ESE and a stiff cross-onshore breeze of 16 mph, it’s going to be a messy, windblown mess. Not for the paddle surfer, honestly – that setup looks more interesting for the kite crew than us.

There’s a light at the end of the tunnel, though. The true standout in this forecast is the morning of Sunday the 23rd. We’ve got a clean 4ft swell pushing in from the ENE with a period of 9 seconds and a solid combined energy of 208 (moderate). The wind is a clean cross-off from the W at 9 mph. It’s over a week away, so keep an eye on it, but on paper, that’s the best session of the whole run right there.

Then again on the morning of the 27th of August, we see a solid pulse of 5ft swell from the NE. This has a short period of 7 seconds, but a powerful energy reading of 386 (moderate to strong) and a clean offshore wind from the WNW. It’ll punch above its weight, but with that short period, it might be a bit dumpy. For the experts, the afternoon of the 27th might be worth a look with a bigger 6ft NE swell, but the direction is a bit more cross-off, so it’s a tougher call.

So, your call is Friday the 14th morning for a glassy, clean session, and the big highlight is Sunday the 23rd morning. Two solid calls, just got to be patient for the second one.

Rusty.

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