Stinky Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what Stinky Bay has got cooking for us over the next couple of weeks.

Straight up, it’s a tough stretch. The first couple of weeks are a real struggle with tiny, weak waves or messy conditions. The good news is there’s a little light at the end of the tunnel, but you’ll have to be patient.

We kick off Saturday, August 8th, with nothing doing. The swell is a tiny 0.7ft from the West with a short period, and the water is a touch warmer than normal at 67° on the Saturday morning. It’s clean but utterly flat. The story is the same through Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday – tiny 0.7ft to 1.0ft waves with weak energy. The combined energy is barely a whisper, like 7 to 24 (weak energy). Even with some offshore winds, there’s simply no wave to ride.

Wednesday, August 12th, sees a slight bump to 1ft and 2ft by the afternoon, with the combined energy climbing to 69 (still weak). The wind goes offshore on the afternoon, which is clean, but it’s still a knee-high dribbler at best. This “poor surf conditions” label sticks to everything.

Thursday, August 13th, we finally get a little more oomph. The swell jumps to 2ft and 3ft with a longer period of 11-12 seconds. The combined energy hits 131 and 151 (moderate wave energy). This is a groundswell, but the wind is a cross-onshore, making it choppy. It’s surfable, but not pretty.

Friday, August 14th, is a similar story. The swell is 2ft to 3ft from the West with moderate energy (122-136). The morning is clean with a cross-offshore, but the afternoon brings a cross-shore chop. The weekend of August 15th-16th drops back down to tiny, weak surf.

Now, Monday, August 17th, the swell picks up to a consistent 3ft from the West. The combined energy jumps to 169 (moderate wave energy). The morning has a light cross-shore, so it’s small and crinkly. The afternoon gets cross-onshore and choppy. Still not the one.

The big spike comes on Wednesday, August 19th. The swell hits 6ft to 7ft from the West and West-Northwest. The combined energy is a strong 217 to 360 (strong wave energy). But – and it’s a big but – the period is a short, weak 6-7 seconds, and the wind is a fresh cross-onshore to onshore. This makes for a lumpy, choppy, messy mess. It’s more of a kite-surfing show than a clean paddle session. Thursday, August 20th, is even bigger at 7ft, but the wind is straight onshore. The energy is very strong (550), but the quality is zero.

Finally, the standout window. Friday, August 21st, is the best we’ve got. The morning brings a clean 3ft swell from the West with a 10-second period, and the wind goes gentle offshore (ENE at 15 km/h). The combined energy is a solid 204 (moderate wave energy). This is the only time in the whole forecast where we get that “expect good surf conditions” note. It’s not a monster, but it will be clean, lined up, and yours. The afternoon is still clean with a cross-offshore, but the swell drops a touch.

After that, we fade back into the small stuff for the final weekend of August 22nd-23rd, with tiny waves and offshore winds, but nothing with any power.

In short, the whole 16-day window is a lean run. The only date that gets a real nod is Friday, August 21st. If you’ve got a log and a patient soul, that morning is your best bet. For everything else, you’re better off checking the forecast again in a few days.

Rusty.

Read more