Strand (Pipe) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, it's Rusty here. Let's cut straight to it. The next couple of weeks have a bit of everything, but the real magic is waiting for you if you're patient. We've got a slow start, a proper pulse mid-week, and then a standout stretch into the following week that looks like it's got some serious teeth.

The early part of this week is a write-off, honestly. Monday the 10th is messy – the swell's there (6ft to 7.2ft at 10 seconds) but the cross-off wind and questionable tides mean it's not worth suiting up. Tuesday the 11th is better. The wind swings offshore and the swell cleans up to a nice 5.2ft to 6.2ft, with the period stretching out to 11-12 seconds. This is when you start to see some shape, moderate energy in the water (1568 on Tuesday morning). It's not huge, but it's clean and punchy.

Then Wednesday the 12th is when it turns on. The wind drops to glassy in the morning and the swell, while smaller at 4.3ft, is a proper long-period groundswell at 18 seconds. This is a beautiful, clean wave, even if the energy is moderate (1221). Glassy conditions and a long period like that – you'll be getting long waits between sets, but the waves you get will be super well-shaped. It's a surfer's wave, not a beginner's wave.

Thursday the 13th keeps the quality up. Still that long-period SW swell, around 4.6ft to 5.2ft, with light offshore or glassy winds. It's consistent and clean, another solid day. Friday the 14th and the weekend drop right off. Swell fades to under 3ft, the period drops, and the energy dips below 500. It's small and weak. You could get a fun little wave on a longboard Saturday afternoon when it goes glassy, but that's about it. There's a real lull from Friday through to Sunday.

Now, for the patient ones. Monday the 17th sees a fresh pulse of SW swell, pushing back up to 5.6ft to 5.9ft at 15-16 seconds. The energy is strong again (1622). The winds are cross-off, so it'll be a bit textured, but there's plenty of push. Tuesday the 18th drops off a touch, and Wednesday the 19th is blown out with a fresh breeze.

But then we get to the finish line. The 20th of August shows a new, more easterly swell (SSE) that's short-period at 7-8 seconds. It's not pretty, but it jumps to a solid 6.6ft to 7.9ft with offshore winds. This is more of a grunty, dumpy beach break wave. It might be a bit much for the lineup.

The real heroes, the true standouts of this entire forecast, are the 24th and 25th of August. This is where you need to make plans to be at Strand (Pipe). Monday the 24th is about as perfect as it gets. We're looking at a solid 7.2ft to 7.5ft of SW groundswell with a 15-second period. The energy numbers are huge – over 2000 all day. But the kicker is the wind: dead glassy in the morning, and barely a puff in the afternoon. This is a big, clean, powerful swell on a beach and reef set-up. It's expert territory for sure – over 8.2ft the next day, so keep that in mind. Tuesday the 25th is even bigger, hitting 8.2ft with strong energy (3368). The wind stays light, and it's clean. These two days are the standout of the whole window. It's a proper XL session.

So, my call is: save your energy for the 24th and 25th of August. That's the one. There's also some promise in the 23rd and the afternoon of the 17th, but the 24th is the crown jewel – big, clean, and powerful. The water's sitting at 58.6°F, which is about normal for this time of year, so a good wetsuit is a must. Good luck out there.

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