Dunedin - St Clair Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, I'm Rusty, and here's a look at what's coming up for us at Dunedin's St Clair. This is a solid stretch ahead, with a fair bit of action, so let's get into it.

The pattern here is a mix of clean, surfable conditions and some real wild weather. We start off with a couple of good sessions, then a big storm hits, followed by a week of building, clean swell that looks like it could be our pick of the whole run.

Friday morning, the 21st of August, we're in for a treat. Some clouds overhead, but a light 6 mph N wind blowing straight offshore keeps things clean. The swell is a consistent 3.6 ft out of the south with an 11-second period, giving us a moderate wave energy of 326. It's a good, clean start to the weekend.

Saturday, the 22nd, is a bit of a drop-off. The swell fades to 2 ft in the morning and 1.6 ft in the afternoon, with energy dropping to 96 and 80. The wind is light and offshore or cross-off, so it's clean, but it's on the small side. Fine for a longboard or a learner, but nothing to get excited about.

Now, Sunday the 23rd is where things get ugly. A strong, gusty WNW wind at 25 mph in the morning blows to 28 mph in the afternoon from the WSW. The swell jumps drastically, especially in the afternoon to 7.9 ft, and the energy goes through the roof to 1459. But the wind is a mess, and with rain showers, it's poor. The wave period is a short 10 seconds, so it's messy and lumpy. This is not a day for a paddle; it's a day for checking the rain gauge.

Monday the 24th settles a bit, but it's still not great. The swell is a moderate 5.2 ft in the morning, with energy at 1058, but the wind is a moderate 12 mph from the west, cross-off. It's a marginal call, and the period is 10 seconds, so not much shape. The afternoon is cleaner with a 9 mph WNW wind, but the swell drops to 3.3 ft with a very long period of 15 seconds. That's a groundswell, which can be a bit straight at a beach break, but St Clair is a point, so it might work. Still, it's a marginal call.

Now for the pick of the first week. Tuesday the 25th is where it's at. The morning has a 4.3 ft SSW swell with a nice 14-second period, combined energy at 682, and a light 6 mph NNW wind blowing offshore. That's clean, has some punch, and the long period means it'll be powerful. The afternoon is even better, with a 4.6 ft SSW swell, energy at 782, and a 12 mph NW wind, still offshore. This is "very good" surf. The water temperature is about average for the time of year, so no need for a thick wetsuit.

Wednesday the 26th is a bit of a letdown. The wind swings to the WSW and then onshore from the south, making it marginal. The swell is 3.9 ft, but the wind is the issue.

Thursday the 27th is back to clean. A 3.3 ft S swell with an 11-second period, energy at 307, and a light 9 mph NNE wind, cross-off. A good, clean session.

After that, things get messy again from Friday the 28th through to the weekend, with strong winds and poor conditions.

Now, looking further out, we have a real standout. Sunday the 30th of August is going to be a monster. The swell is predicted to be 14.8 ft in the morning and 13.1 ft in the afternoon, all from the SSW with a 14-second period. The energy is astronomical, at 11329 and 11480. But the catch is that it's way too big for St Clair. This is a spot for experts only, and even then, it's a serious call. The wind is fresh and cross-off, so it'll be clean, but the size is the issue. This is more of a big-wave show than a surf session.

Monday the 31st of August is still big, with a 7.2 ft S swell in the morning, energy at 1347, and a light cross-off wind. Still too big for the average surfer, but cleaner.

Then, the real gem of the whole forecast. Tuesday the 1st of September. The morning is glassy, with a 5.9 ft S swell, 11-second period, and energy at 792. The wind is dead calm, glassy. That's going to be a beautiful, clean, powerful session. The afternoon is a bit smaller at 5.2 ft, with a light cross-on breeze, but the morning is the one.

The rest of the first week of September is small and clean, but nothing special.

Overall, the best on offer is the Tuesday the 25th of August and the Tuesday the 1st of September. The 25th has the best combo of clean, offshore wind and a solid, long-period swell. The 1st is glassy with a good size. Both are for intermediate to advanced surfers. The 30th of August is for the big-wave crew only.

Keep an eye on the forecast, because the long-range stuff can change, but this is looking promising. Stay stoked

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