Singleton Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get this one straight. We’ve got a proper stretch of ocean ahead, but it’s not for the faint of heart. The big picture is this: a serious, long-period west-southwest groundswell rolls in for the opening days, and it’s going to be way too much for the average punter. We’re talking about a break that’s already exposed, and this swell is going to have it maxing out. The energy readings are huge right off the bat, with values in the thousands – that’s strong to very strong wave energy, no doubt. If you’re a beginner, you’re not surfing this place for the first few days. It’s a washing machine.

Let’s break it down day by day.

Sunday, August 9th kicks things off. We’ve got a solid 12ft swell out of the WSW with a 17-second period. That’s a proper groundswell. The energy is massive – 5733. The wind is light and onshore in the morning, which is a bit of a shame, but the real problem is the size. This is way over the 8ft mark, so it’s strictly expert territory. The afternoon cleans up a bit with the wind, but it’s still 10ft and just as raw. I’m not even going to recommend it; it's just too big and unruly.

The surf stays big and messy through Monday the 10th. Strong winds, rain, and a peaky, short-period 10-13ft swell. This is a full-on cleanup. Not worth the paddle.

Things start to become a little less chaotic on Tuesday the 11th. The swell drops to 12ft in the morning and 10ft in the afternoon, but it’s still over the 8ft mark. The light cross-shore morning wind will keep the face a bit textured, but the size is still the main issue. It's still too big for most.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The tide turns on Wednesday, August 12th. The swell backs down to around 7ft. This is still a decent size, but it’s dropping into a manageable range. The morning is clean with a light cross-offshore breeze. The afternoon, though, the wind goes glassy. That’s the window. This is the moment. Singleton is still a heavy wave, but 7ft of clean, 14-second WSW groundswell on a glassy afternoon is a world-class opportunity. The energy is still moderate, reading 1752, but the conditions are prime. This is a standout for experienced surfers only.

Thursday, August 13th is more of the same. A glassy 7ft morning with a 17-second period. The energy is there, 2598, and it looks perfect. The afternoon gets a little cross-onshore, but the morning is the one to get. Another excellent day for the crew who knows what they’re doing.

Friday, August 14th the morning looks good again – clean 7ft with an offshore breeze. Another solid day. The afternoons tend to get a bit lumpy, but the mornings are gold.

The swell finally starts to fade over the weekend of the 15th and 16th, dropping to 6ft on Saturday. The morning is clean, but the energy is dropping. It’s still a good wave, but not as powerful. Sunday the 16th has the wind swinging offshore, keeping things clean, but the swell has shifted slightly to the west and it’s a bit less organized at 7ft.

Then things go pear-shaped. The swell builds again on Monday, August 17th, but it’s coming with strong winds and poor conditions. The energy spikes to 5977 with 12ft waves, but it’s a mess. Forget it.

The rest of that week is a write-off. Strong winds, lumpy seas, rain – it's all over the shop. There’s a brief moment on the morning of Wednesday the 19th where it’s clean with a 8ft west swell, but the wind is up and the energy is moderate at best. It’s not worth the drama.

The final kicker is a big, stormy swell on Thursday, August 20th. The energy is a huge 7256, but the swell is 15ft with strong cross-shore winds. That’s a full-on no-go.

The tail end of the window, from the 21st to the 24th, is poor. The swell drops, but the wind stays onshore and messy, and the energy sinks to weak or low-moderate levels. A blank, frustrating run to close it out.

So, if you’re an expert and you’re free, the standout days are the glassy mornings and afternoons of Wednesday the 12th, Thursday the 13th, and Friday the 14th. That’s your window. Hold out for that. The rest is either chaos or mush.

Rusty.

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