Sixtynine Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what’s on offer at Sixtynine over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – this is a tough run. The first ten days or so are looking pretty average, with hardly any push to get excited about. We’re talking tiny dribbles of swell, mostly around 0.7ft to 1ft, with a 12 to 13 second period on that W swell. The combined energy is weak, barely getting into double digits (12), so it’s all pretty limp. The water temp is sitting at 81°, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.

The first real glimmer of hope doesn’t show up until Saturday the 16th of August. By the afternoon, we finally get a bit of a pulse. The swell bumps up to 1ft from the WNW, with a 12-second period, and the combined energy climbs to 92. It’s still not big, but the wind goes glassy – dead calm – so the conditions will be clean. It’s surfable, but very ordinary. You’ll be fighting for any little crumb you can get.

Now, the standout in this whole outlook lands on Thursday the 20th of August. This is where it gets interesting. The swell direction swings around to the SW, and the period jumps to a very long 21 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell pulse. The combined energy hits 158 (moderate), and the swell height is still only 1ft, but that long period means it’ll have some shape and push, especially around the point. The wind goes glassy in the afternoon, flat calm. This is a rare, promising window for the patient surfer. Because Sixtynine is a fairly exposed spot and the optimum swell direction is WNW, this SW swell is a bit off-angle, but that long period groundswell can still wrap in nicely. Remember, though, long-period swells like this can break a bit straight on a beach break, so keep your eyes open for the right line.

From the 21st, it fades back to small, weak, and unremarkable again. The crowds at Sixtynine are listed as "sometimes," so you might have company on that Thursday glass-off, but it’s not a zoo.

So, bottom line: don’t hold your breath for the first week and a half. The best bet is the Thursday the 20th of August, with that glassy, long-period SW groundswell. It’s a long way out, so keep checking in, but it’s the only real spark in the whole 16-day window.

- Rusty

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