Spot x Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, let's have a good look at what's coming our way for Spot X.

We're kicking off on Friday, August 14th, with a solid pulse of SW swell. This is a big, powerful groundswell with a period of 16 seconds and a combined energy of 5535 (moderate to strong). We're looking at clean, 12 ft faces out of the SW. The water temp is sitting at 67°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. A light NE breeze keeps things clean. This is proper expert-only territory though – at 12 ft, this is not for the faint of heart. The swell direction is a good match for this spot. Crowds are only sometimes an issue here. Friday afternoon holds strong too, with 10 ft SW swell and glassy conditions as the wind swings light NNW.

Saturday the 15th gets bumped up a bit. Morning sees 8 ft WSW swell with a moderate NNE breeze – still cross-off but a bit more wind. The quality drops off, and it looks more marginal. Afternoon cleans up with lighter N winds and 8 ft faces, offering better conditions for experienced surfers.

Sunday the 16th is a write-off for quality. We have 10 ft waves, but with a fresh 19 mph NNE breeze all day, it's going to be messy and marginal. Not one to get excited about.

Then we hit a rough patch. Monday the 17th brings onshore gales up to 28 mph and a huge, raw 15 ft swell. The combined energy hits 12433 (very strong) – that’s a lot of water moving around. With strong onshores, it’s pure chaos. This setup looks much more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. Tuesday and Wednesday are similar; we're stuck with big, cross-onshore slop and consistent energy readings over 9000. Not worth paddling out.

Things start to settle on Thursday, August 20th. The swell drops to 13 ft but the wind goes light NW, giving us a cross-shore with small ripples. The conditions are still marginal, but there’s a glimpse of hope. The energy is still high at 7471.

Now, the standout window arrives. Friday, August 21st. The morning is glassy with virtually no wind and a 10 ft SW groundswell. The water will be clean as a whistle. This is the best-looking session on the cards – clean, powerful, and well-shaped. It’s still a big wave, so you’ll want your step-up.

Saturday, August 22nd, is another beauty. The morning delivers a moderate offshore NE wind and a 8 ft SW swell. It’s clean, offshore, and a bit more manageable. The afternoon cleans up even more with a light NNE breeze and a longer-period 8 ft SW swell. Two excellent days in a row.

The second week quiets down. There’s a bit of swell around 7 ft to 8 ft through the 23rd and 24th, but the winds are messy or onshore. Monday the 24th has light rain and onshore winds, so it’s flat and poor. Tuesday the 25th is a nice surprise: a clean, gentle offshore breeze from the east and 6 ft SW swell – tidy, mellow surf for a grovel board. Wednesday the 26th looks similar with a light offshore.

Thursday the 27th gets a bit lumpy with a cross-shore wind, and the following days through to the 29th are mostly onshore or choppy. However, look at Saturday, August 29th – a new pulse of 13 ft WSW swell shows up with a light SSE breeze, giving us a clean cross-shore. The energy is strong at 6912. It’s far out, so treat it as a promising possibility rather than a guarantee, but it could be another big-wave day. The afternoon looks like it gets blown out by a moderate SSW wind.

The Verdict: The absolute best on offer is the glassy Friday morning, August 21st. If that doesn’t work, the offshore Saturday morning, August 22nd, is a very close second. There are a few clean, smaller days towards the end of the second week, but the real power is in that first standout window.

Rusty.

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