Shipwrecks Bay-Peaks Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here.

We've got a solid run of swell on the cards for Shipwrecks Bay-Peaks, but it's a mixed bag for quality. The standout window is the morning of Saturday the 5th of September, when a glassy session with clean, powerful waves is on offer. If you're an experienced surfer, that morning is the one to circle.

Let's start with the weekend just gone. Saturday morning the 29th of August is a write-off with light cross-shore ripples and questionable conditions. The afternoon cleans up nicely with a moderate offshore breeze, but the swell is only 3 ft from the SW, so it's a small-scale session. Sunday the 30th jumps up to a chunky 8 ft from the SW, but strong 30 km/h winds and a short 8-second period make it messy and borderline unrideable—too big for beginners and not clean enough for anyone else.

Monday the 31st of August sees the swell jump to 13 ft in the morning, building to 15 ft by the afternoon with a 16-second period. This is proper groundswell, but the cross-off wind is still fresh at 25 km/h. The combined energy is massive (9575), but it's just too raw and unruly for a pleasant paddle.

Tuesday the 1st of September stays big at 15 ft with a long 14-second period, but the fresh breeze keeps it lumpy. Wednesday the 2nd of September is where it starts to get interesting. The morning drops to a still hefty 12 ft from the SW, but with a light breeze it becomes clean and manageable. The forecast says "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers"—this is a genuine option for strong paddlers. The combined energy is still high at 5243.

Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th of September see choppy cross-onshore winds spoil the fun on a 8 ft to 10 ft SW swell. Not worth a look.

The big one is Saturday the 5th of September. The morning delivers a glassy, clean 12 ft SW groundswell with a 14-second period. Combined energy is strong at 4493, and with zero wind, it'll be smooth and powerful. This is the best session of the entire forecast—only for experienced surfers due to the size and energy, but it's a standout. The afternoon gets a bit choppy as the breeze picks up.

Sunday the 6th and Monday the 7th of September are rough, with strong winds and messy conditions on a 10 ft to 12 ft SSW swell. Tuesday the 8th and Wednesday the 9th of September are blown-out with direct onshore winds and 15 ft to 18 ft of swell—dangerous and ugly—kite-foiling territory if anything.

Thursday the 10th of September eases to a 16 ft SW with cross-shore winds, but it's still a big, heavy beast. Friday the 11th of September sees the swell drop to a more manageable 8 ft from the WSW, with a clean cross-off breeze—good, but not a standout. Saturday the 12th of September morning is the second standout—a clean 10 ft SW swell with a gentle offshore breeze from the S (12-second period). This is prime for advanced surfers, with a combined energy of 6503. The afternoon holds at 13 ft but gets a bit more cross-off. Sunday the 13th of September ends the run with 13 ft SW swell and a moderate breeze.

Water temp at Shipwrecks Bay-Peaks is 59°F, which is about average for this time of year.

Remember, this is a reef break for advanced surfers only. Crowds are rare, so you'll have plenty of room. The optimum swell direction is SW, and most of the pulses are right on that mark.

Stay tuned and stay safe. This is Rusty, signing off.

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