Spot x Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let me break down what’s cooking at Spot X over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a serious pulse of south-west groundswell rolling in, with a very long period around 15 to 17 seconds. The water temperature is sitting at 67°, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year – nothing crazy, but you’ll notice it’s a little more comfortable than normal.

Wednesday afternoon kicks things off, but it’s a bit of a tease. The swell is a solid 13ft from the SW, but the wind is onshore at 9 mph, and the wave comment notes it’s marginal. The combined wave energy is a strong 5889, so there’s plenty of power, but it’s not clean. This one is for the keen crew who don’t mind a bit of chop.

Now, Thursday morning (13 August) is the real stand-out. The wind goes glassy – absolute zero – from the NNW at just 3 mph. The swell holds at 13ft from the SW with a very long period of 16 seconds, and the energy jumps to 7979. This is exceptional for expert surfers only. The reef at Spot X will be handling that long-period groundswell beautifully, with hollow, powerful lines. If you’ve got the skills, this is the session to aim for. The water is still that touch warmer than normal, making it even more pleasant. Expect crowds to be possible, as it’s just too good to keep quiet.

Thursday afternoon sees a light cross-on breeze creep in, but the swell is still 13ft and the period stretches to 17 seconds, with energy at 8473. It’s a step down in quality but still a solid option for experienced surfers.

Friday morning (14 August) brings a cross-off wind from the NE at 9 mph, with the swell dropping a touch to 12ft but still a very long 16-second period. The energy is 5535, and it’s clean. Another good one for the experienced crew.

Saturday morning (15 August) sees the swell drop to 8ft, swinging more WSW, with a shorter period of 14 seconds. The wind is cross-off but a bit stronger at 16 mph, so it’s clean but a bit bumpy. The energy is 2613 – moderate. It’s still surfable for intermediates, but nowhere near the quality of Thursday.

The real trouble hits Sunday night through Monday (17 August). A strong front brings light rain, with winds gusting to 28-31 mph. The swell jumps to 15ft from the WSW, but it’s a complete mess – blown out, cross-chop, and near gale conditions. The energy is huge (12184 on Monday afternoon), but it’s a kite surfer’s dream, not a paddle surfer’s. Give it a miss.

Tuesday (18 August) is still messy with onshore winds and 15ft swell, but the energy is high (10140). The wind is a moderate onshore, so it’s lumpy. Not recommended.

The rest of the week into the weekend (19-24 August) is a mixed bag of strong winds, big swell, and poor conditions. There’s a spike on Thursday morning (20 August) with a massive 20ft WSW swell and energy over 20,000, but it’s too big for this break and the wind is cross-onshore. That’s for experts only, and even then, it’s pushing the limits.

The next real glimmer comes on Saturday morning (22 August). The swell drops to 15ft from the SW, period 15 seconds, with a gentle onshore wind. The energy is 8461, and the wave comment is marginal but score is a 7. It’s not perfect, but it’s the best in a while.

Sunday morning (23 August) has a clean cross-off wind from the NNE at 12 mph, with 12ft SW swell at 14 seconds. The energy is 5001. It’s clean and surfable for experienced surfers.

The final highlight is Sunday afternoon (23 August) – clear skies, a light cross-off from the north at 9 mph, with 10ft SW swell at 14 seconds. The energy is 3968. It’s clean and rated excellent for experienced surfers.

After that, things taper off into the end of August with smaller, wind-affected swell and poor conditions. The last decent-looking day is Thursday morning (27 August), but it’s small (4ft) and the wind is fresh and cross-shore, making it lumpy. Not worth getting excited about.

Bottom line: If you’re an expert, don’t miss Thursday morning (13 August) – glassy, 13ft, long-period SW groundswell, and that reef will be firing. The other clear window is Sunday afternoon (23 August) for a clean, solid 10ft session. Everything else is either too big, too windy, or too messy.

Rusty.

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