Spanish Bay-South Moss Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s talk about what’s going down at Spanish Bay-South Moss. Honestly, I’ve seen better stretches. The forecast has a rough start, but there’s a window of hope shaping up for the second week. It’s not a write-off, but patience is the name of the game.

The first waves worth mentioning kick off on Sunday, August 2nd, but it’s a bit of a struggle. We’ve got a 7ft swell from the NW, with a period of 10 seconds – that’s decent groundswell energy, coming in at 937 (moderate wave energy). The water temperature is 58° with a slight anomaly of -0.9°, so pretty much average for this time of year. The wind is a 9 mph cross-onshore from the WNW, making it fairly choppy. The break is exposed, but the wind is spoiling it. It’s advanced-level, fairly consistent, but the onshore wind means it’s messy. Crowds are possible, so you’ll have company. It’s a marginal surf forecast, not a standout.

Monday, August 3rd, is similar – 7ft NW swell, 10-second period, 6 mph cross-on wind from the W in the morning. Still messy. The afternoon picks up a bit of cross-on wind, but it’s still choppy. The energy drops to 708 (moderate). No real improvement.

Tuesday, August 4th, the swell drops to 4ft from the WNW, period 9 seconds, with light cross-shore wind. The energy is down to 398 (moderate). It’s small and weak, but the wind is lighter, so it’s a little cleaner. Still, it’s marginal.

Wednesday, August 5th, the swell fades to 3ft, and the energy is only 198 (weak). Poor conditions, not worth paddling out. The same goes for the rest of the first week – it’s flat, small, or blown out with onshore winds. There’s a gap from Wednesday afternoon through to Saturday, August 8th, with very little surf – just small, weak, and messy.

Now, here’s the interesting part. The standout is on Monday, August 10th. We’ve got a 7ft NW swell, 10-second period, and the wind is light cross-shore from the WSW at 6 mph. The combined energy is 1012 (moderate to strong), which is the best of the whole forecast. The wind is light, creating small crossing wind ripples – not perfect, but way better than the choppy onshore stuff we’ve been dealing with. The break is exposed, so the swell hits it well. Off the optimum direction of W, we’re close enough with NW. It’s advanced-level, fairly consistent, and crowds are possible. This is the one to aim for. It’s not a full-blown classic, but it’s the best on offer.

Tuesday, August 11th, sees a 5ft NW swell, 10-second period, with light cross-on wind. The energy is 753 (moderate). It’s a step down from Monday, but still surfable if you’re keen.

After that, the surf drops off again. From Wednesday, August 12th, onwards, it’s mostly small, weak, and onshore winds. There’s a few pulses of longer period swell from the SSW and WNW later in the second week – like Thursday, August 13th, with 2ft and 16-second period, or Saturday, August 15th, with 3ft and 17-second period – but the energy is moderate (up to 944), and the winds are onshore. These long-period swells are prone to breaking straight on a beach setup, so they’re not great for paddle surfing. The setup at Spanish Bay-South Moss is a beach-and-reef, so it might be more interesting for kite surfing than a paddle session.

Overall, the best bet is the morning of Monday, August 10th, with the 7ft NW swell, light cross-shore winds, and the strongest energy of the whole period. The rest of the 16-day window is a mix of small, choppy, or wind-affected waves. It’s not a total blank, but you’ve got to pick your moment.

Rusty.

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