Dunedin - St Clair Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s shaping up for our local patch.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a little gem of a session on Friday afternoon at St-Clair (Dunedin - St Clair). It’s not a big swell, only a 2ft wave from the south, but the period is a super long 18 seconds. That’s proper groundswell energy, and it’s going to wrap in with some real push. The wind is a light north-easterly cross-off, so the face will be clean. The water is sitting at 51°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so it’s not going to be a total ice bath. The combined energy is weak (271), but for a Friday arvo session with that lineup, it’s a nice little opener.

Saturday gets blown out though. A strong south-southwest wind hits both sessions, pushing in a cross-on chop. The swell bumps up to 4ft, but the quality is poor. Sunday morning is where it gets interesting for the more experienced crew. The swell picks up to 5ft from the south, with a 16-second period, and the wind swings to a light westerly cross-off. The wave energy is strong (1347), and the conditions are clean. This is a solid session for someone who knows their way around. Sunday afternoon, however, the wind shifts to a cross-on, so it’s a bit of a one-hit-window that morning.

Monday morning is worth a paddle too. Swell drops to 4ft, but it’s still a long 14-second south swell, with a light west-northwest cross-off. Energy is moderate (614), and the face will be clean. Monday afternoon gets messy again with a strong cross-shore wind.

We hit a bit of a rough patch mid-week. Tuesday and Wednesday are dominated by strong, lumpy cross-shore winds, and the swell gets too big for the break. On Wednesday, we’re looking at 8ft south-southwest swell with a 14-second period. The combined energy is massive (4069), but the text says it’s too big for this spot. That’s expert-only territory, and even then, the wind is messy. Not one for the average punter.

Thursday the 20th sees a drop in size. The morning is clean with a 5ft south swell and a light westerly cross-off, but the period is only 11 seconds, so it’s a bit short. The energy is moderate (651). The afternoon goes glassy with a light southerly onshore, but the 4ft swell is a bit ordinary.

Now, looking further out, Friday the 21st is a real standout. The morning has a clean 4ft south-southwest swell with a 13-second period, and a light north-northwest offshore wind. That’s a proper offshore, cleaning up the lines nicely. The energy is moderate (504), and the conditions are very good. That’s the best session in the second half of the outlook.

The weekend of the 22nd and 23rd is a big drop-off. Swell fades to 2ft, and then down to 1ft on Sunday, with weak energy (72-137). Not much to write home about.

The following week is a slow grind. From Monday the 24th through to Wednesday the 26th, we’ve got small, messy, or low-energy swells, mostly with strong cross-off winds. The energy is moderate at best, but the quality is poor. Thursday the 27th is a glimmer of hope. A 4ft south swell with a 15-second period, and a light north-west offshore wind. The energy is solid (761), and the conditions are very good. That’s the best call in the second week. Friday the 28th is okay, but not as good, and the weekend of the 29th closes out with small, onshore slop.

So, the standout sessions are Sunday morning, August 16th, and Friday morning, August 21st. The long-range Thursday the 27th is promising, but less certain. For the rest, pick your windows carefully.

Rusty.

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