Southerndown Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty here.

Honestly, looking at the next couple of weeks for Southerndown, it’s a proper test of patience. We’ve got a long, flat spell ahead before things finally wake up, and even then, it’s not for the faint-hearted.

The next week and a half is basically a write-off. From the 14th through the 27th of August, there’s just nothing doing. The swell stays tiny, mostly under 3ft, with poor, crumbly conditions and a lot of cross-onshore wind messing things up. Energy readings are weak to moderate, spending most of the time below 100, with only a couple of days mid-week bumping into the low 100s (120). It’s not worth paddling out for. There are a few windows of clean, glassy conditions, like Sunday morning the 16th, but with waves that are only 1ft and a period of 7 seconds, you’d be fighting for dribbles.

Then comes the 28th of August, Friday morning. This is where things get interesting, and by interesting, I mean potentially terrifying. A real pulse of southwest groundswell hits, with the swell jumping to around 11.5ft and a period of 12 seconds. The energy readings are through the roof, clocking in at 3275 in the morning and 3990 in the afternoon. That’s a lot of water moving. The wind is howling offshore from the ENE too, which would normally have me drooling. But here’s the kicker – this break, Southerndown, is a beginner-friendly beach and reef setup. An 11.5ft groundswell here is way too big and dangerous for most. It’s a proper expert-only day, and even then, you’d want to know what you’re doing. The offshore wind will hold it up, but the sheer size and power make it a gnarley one to even consider.

The next day, the 29th, it backs off a bit but is still solid. 10ft in the morning, dropping to around 8ft in the afternoon, with a period around 10 seconds. Energy is still strong at over 1200. The wind does ease up, turning light cross-shore, but the guidance flags the tide conditions as questionable. The swell is there, but it might not be lining up properly. It’s a far cry from the clean, perfect conditions of the day before, but it's still sizeable and will be a handful. For anyone not an expert, this whole last weekend of August is one to watch from the beach. The water temp is a notable 69.4°, which is a good 8.1° warmer than the long-term average for this time of year – that’s seriously unusual, so at least you won't be cold while you're watching the big sets roll through.

The real standout, if you can handle it, is the Friday the 28th. That’s the best swell we’re going to get, with those long-period waves and that strong offshore wind. It’s just a shame it’s so big for this spot. Everything else in that window is either too small or too messy to bother with. It’s a long wait, but that day will be something to see.

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