Shipwrecks Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Shipwrecks over the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, the first week and a half is a flat spell. We’re looking at a real dry run from now until around the 23rd of August. There’s some small swell in the water, but it’s mostly weak and messy, with combined swell energy readings mostly in the 200-400 range (moderate wave energy) – but it’s just not organised. The only half-decent window is Wednesday afternoon, the 12th, when the wind goes glassy. That’s a serious positive, but with a tiny 2ft SW swell at a very long 16 seconds, it’s going to be dribbly and fat. Not much to get excited about.

The real standout comes later. Mark your calendars for the 25th of August. Tuesday morning brings a big, solid pulse of southerly swell at 11ft, with a period of 15 seconds – that’s proper groundswell. The combined energy rockets up to 5320 (very strong wave energy). That’s serious, heavy water. At that size, over 8ft, this is strictly for experts. The wind is onshore from the ESE at 9 mph, so it won’t be perfect, but the raw power is there. The following Tuesday afternoon (25th) still has a solid 8ft SSW swell at 14 seconds, energy at 2827, with lighter cross-onshore wind. It’s still big, but a bit more manageable for strong intermediates.

The days before and after that pulse are still worth a look. Monday afternoon the 24th sees a 8ft SSE swell with a shorter 13-second period (energy 2062), and the wind is cross-shore from the SW. It’s a bit lumpy, but there’s size. Wednesday morning the 26th drops to 5ft S swell, period 11 seconds, energy 1282, but the wind is onshore. Again, it’s marginal.

For the first break I’ll mention, the water temperature is 87°F, which is 5°F warmer than normal for this time of year. That’s very unusual – the water is much warmer than average.

Overall, the first ten days are a write-off for proper surfing. The big swell on the 25th is the one to watch, but it’s a long-range call, so keep an eye on it. If you’re not an expert, that Tuesday morning is a no-go. For the rest of the run, it’s mostly poor conditions with weak energy and onshore winds. Not much to shout about until that late burst.

Rusty.

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