Sponge bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, checkin’ in from the coast. Gotta be honest with you—this stretch ahead is a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got a long wait for the real juice, but when it shows, it’s gonna be a proper session. The water’s sittin’ at 55°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll wanna dig out the 4/3 if you’re paddling out at Sponge Bay.

The first few days are a write-off. Thursday the 20th has some lumpy, poor conditions with 6ft from the south and a short 8-second period, plus a 12 mph onshore breeze—just ugly. That’s a gap of nearly a week with nothing worth paddling for, just flat spells and crap wind.

Friday the 21st though, we finally see a flicker. Morning brings a clean 2ft SSE swell with a super long 16-second period, and a light cross-off breeze. The wave energy is moderate (460). It’s small, but those long lines mean better shape. Afternoon’s even better—4ft SSE, same 16-second period, clean cross-off wind, and energy climbing to 794. This is a nice little window for the longboard or a fun mid-length. The break is fairly consistent, and the optimum swell direction is from the SSE, which is bang on.

Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd are pretty ordinary—small, messy, and the wind picks up. Not worth getting out of bed for.

Monday the 24th gets a bit of size with 6ft SSW swell, but the period is a short 8 seconds, and it’s a cross-on breeze. The energy is moderate (616), but it’s choppy and poor. Not your day.

The rest of the first week is a slog. Tuesday the 25th has some 4ft SSE swell with a 12-second period, but the conditions are just marginal. Wednesday and Thursday are tiny, with poor surf. Friday the 28th and Saturday the 29th have some clean offshore breezes, but the swell is still small—1ft to 2ft. You could get a fun little wave if you’re desperate, but it’s really ordinary.

Now, here’s the standout. Sunday the 30th of August. This is the one. Morning kicks off with a solid 8ft SSE swell, a very long 17-second period, and a light 6 mph offshore from the north. The energy is massive (3659)—strong to very strong. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. The afternoon holds 8ft SSE with a 16-second period, still clean with a light cross-off. Energy is at 2620. This is the best of the whole forecast. The break is a beach and reef setup, so that long-period groundswell might be a bit straight on the beach, but with the size and offshore wind, it’ll be shaping up nicely. The optimum swell direction is SSE, so it’s feeding right in. Expect crowds to be possible at Sponge Bay.

Monday the 31st keeps the fun rolling with 5ft SSE in the morning (energy 942) and a ripper afternoon—7ft SSE, 16-second period, light offshore wind, energy 2241. Excellent conditions for experienced surfers again.

Tuesday the 1st of September has a solid 6ft SSE morning with a 14-second period, clean and light wind—energy is 1038. But the afternoon turns onshore and messy, so get your session in early.

From Wednesday the 2nd of September onwards, it falls apart. Strong onshore winds, rain, and poor surf. The swell drops right off with only small, choppy junk. The last few days of the forecast are a write-off—don’t bother.

So, the clear winner is Sunday the 30th of August—big, clean, long-period swell from the SSE at Sponge Bay. Monday the 31st is also a cracker. Get out there if you’ve got the skills.

Rusty.

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