Shipstern Bluff Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day crew, Rusty here.

We’ve got a wild 16-day stretch on our hands. It starts off messy, real messy, and you might be better off staying on land for the first day. But don’t write it off, because there’s a serious pulse of energy late in the game that’s going to be the one to circle.

The first real window opens on Saturday morning, August 15. After a rough Friday, it cleans right up. We’re looking at a solid 10ft SW groundswell (3669 energy) pushing through. The wind is light and cross-off, so it should be holding some shape. This one’s for the experienced crew only—it’s a powerful, heavy wave. Water temp is near 55°, about average for this time of year, so the rubber’s going on.

Saturday afternoon, August 15, is the gem. The swell drops a bit to 8ft from the SSW, but the wind goes dead glassy. That’s the kind of condition you dream about. Clean, fast, and hollow. This is the pick of the first part of the week. The energy is still strong (2749), and for anyone who knows this wave, a glassy afternoon on solid SW groundswell is something special.

Sunday morning, August 16, is still fun. Swell is down to 6ft but there’s plenty of push (1076). Light cross-off winds keep it clean. After that, the week fades. The swell drops into the 3ft to 4ft range, and even though a long-period groundswell (17 seconds) rolls through on the 17th, it’s just not got the size to make this place work. It’ll be small and soft.

Then we hit a proper lull. From Tuesday the 18th through the 21st, it’s all under 3ft. Not worth the paddle.

The next thing to see is the 22nd and 23rd. A storm swell hits with 10ft on the 22nd, but the period is a short, bumpy 8 seconds and it gets slammed by a near-gale cross-shore. That’s not surfing, that’s just survival. The energy is pumping (1161), but the quality is zero. You could argue it’s more interesting for the kite crew than the paddle crew. Same story on the 23rd. Big, messy, blown out.

Now, here’s the one you’ve been waiting for. Monday, August 24th. This is the highlight of the entire 16-day window. A serious dose of power arrives. The morning shows a massive 13ft SSW swell with a solid 16-second period (7336 energy). Winds are light and cross-off, which keeps things as clean as it gets for a wave this size. This is big, heavy, and for experts only. The energy is right up there. There’s a small crowd factor, but for a wave this size, that’s usually not a problem.

Monday afternoon’s still holding, with 12ft on tap (7743 energy) and just a slight cross-shore breeze. It’s going to be a full day of heavy grinding walls. This is the one.

After that, things settle down quick. Tuesday the 25th has a clean 5ft with light offshore winds, a nice little reset for those who want a slightly less intense session. From there, it just fades out. The rest of the month drifts into smaller, wind-affected waves with nothing worth getting excited about. We’re looking at a week of small, messy leftovers, so after that Monday, cash in your chips.

So your plan: hit Saturday afternoon if you can, but the real monster is Monday, August 24. Mark it.

Rusty out.

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