Sixtynine Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty, and I’ve been staring at the charts for your local stretch. The next sixteen days are a real mixed bag—a long, quiet spell with barely a ripple, then a late pulse of energy that might just save the week. Let’s get into it.

The first surfable energy doesn’t show up until Thursday the 20th of August, and even then it’s not much to write home about. We’ve got a tiny 1.0ft swell from the southwest, but with a very long period of 18 seconds, it’s that deep-ocean groundswell that tends to run straight past beach breaks. The water is a warm 81°, which is about normal for this time of year with a 1° anomaly—nothing wild. The wind is light and onshore, so the surf is poor and small. The combined energy is weak (87), so don’t expect much. Friday the 21st stays similar, with a 2ft swell from the west, period dropping to 10-11 seconds, and light cross-onshore winds. Still poor. Saturday the 22nd is another small day, 1.0ft to 2ft, with messy cross-shore breezes. There’s a bit of a gap here—from Sunday the 23rd through the end of August, the swell fades away to nothing for many days. The 23rd shows a 2ft wave at 12 seconds, but the wind is a moderate cross-shore (15 km/h), and energy is only 111 (moderate). By Monday the 24th, we’re down to 0.7ft, and then we hit a dry spell from the 25th of August right through to the 2nd of September—no real swell to speak of, just tiny 0.7ft pulses and mostly clean, glassy conditions with no waves. The break is Sixtynine, a fairly exposed spot that works best on a WNW swell, but we’re just not getting that.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The first week of September shows a sudden shift. On Thursday the 3rd of September, the morning brings a 1ft swell from the WNW with a very long period of 21 seconds and a combined energy of 207 (moderate). The wind is light and cross-onshore, but the surf is still poor. By the afternoon, the swell bumps to 2ft from the west, period 18 seconds, and energy jumps to 380 (moderate to strong). The wind goes onshore, and the forecast calls it “marginal.” Friday the 4th of September is the best on offer in this whole window. The morning sees a 3ft swell from the west, period 16 seconds, and energy hitting 560 (strong). The wind is light and onshore at 10 km/h, which is a bit of a bummer, but the swell has some real grunt. The afternoon holds steady at 3ft, 15-second period, and 477 energy (strong). The wind stays light onshore. This is the standout—it’s not huge, but after two weeks of flatness, a solid 3ft groundswell with strong energy and a west direction that matches Sixtynine’s optimum WNW exposure is exciting. The long period (15-16 seconds) means better shape and more push, but it’s a beach break, so it might run a bit straight. Still, for a consistent break that’s fairly exposed, this is a late burst of hope.

Overall, the first two weeks are a washout, with a noticeable gap from the 25th of August to the 2nd of September. But that final pulse on the 3rd and 4th of September is worth keeping an eye on. The long-range call is promising but less certain—forecasts can change, so don’t book the week off yet.

Rusty.

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