Southerndown Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s be honest with you right off the bat: the next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for a paddle. We’ve got a long stretch of small, weak, and messy surf ahead. The good news? There are a couple of signs of life towards the end of the window, but you’re going to need to pick your moments and maybe your spots carefully. It’s not going to be a classic fortnight.

The water’s a real standout, though. We’re looking at 69°F at Southerndown, which is a massive 8°F warmer than it should be for this time of year. That is very unusual, so at least if you’re getting skunked, you won’t be cold doing it.

The next four days are a write-off. Tuesday afternoon kicks things off with a westerly cross-on breeze at 22 mph making an absolute mess of the 4ft of slop. The swell energy is weak, only 94, and that's all you need to know. It's lumpy and poor. Wednesday is more of the same – tiny and onshore. Thursday sees a little more push, with about 4ft on offer, and the energy ticks up to a moderate 290 for the morning, but the wind is still cross-onshore, so it’s going to be a choppy, lumpy mess.

Friday morning, things go glassy-clean, but the swell drops right out to a tiny 2ft. It’s clean, but there’s just nothing to ride. That pattern holds for the weekend and into the start of next week. We’re looking at a stretch where the surf is under 1ft, mostly glassy and clean. It looks pretty, but it’s lake-like. There's a real gap here from Friday until about next Wednesday with nothing worth getting wet for.

The energy finally starts to come back a little on Wednesday the 26th. Morning looks clean with a light offshore, but the swell is a punchy 3ft with a weak 75 energy. It’s an improvement, but still below the fun threshold.

Now, hold on to your hats, because the final few days of the month are where the only real swell shows up. We’ve got two potential standouts, but they come with a caveat.

Saturday, August 29th is the first one to look at. The swell pushes up to 4ft in the morning and 5ft in the afternoon from the WSW. The energy is solid, hitting 323 and 256. This is the most powerful surf we’ve seen. The problem is, the wind is going to be fresh and cross-onshore, which will make it lumpy. It’s a bit of a battle, but there will be waves.

Monday, August 31st is the second and arguably better-looking window. The swell builds to 5ft by the afternoon, with a moderate 204 energy. Again, it’s from the WSW. Wind is moderate and onshore, so it won’t be clean, but it will be the biggest surf of the period. For a beginner, anything over 5ft is getting too big, and with the onshore wind, this one is for the more experienced crew.

Beyond that, into the first couple of days of September, we have about 4ft to 4ft of swell, but the winds stay problematic. The morning of Tuesday, September 1st has a cross-shore breeze that might offer some slightly better shape, but it’s still not ideal.

So, to sum it up: bring your wettie and enjoy the warm water, but don’t expect much in the way of waves for over a week. If you’re desperate, wait for the bigger, mushier days at the end of the month and manage your expectations. It’s not going to be pretty.

Rusty, out.

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