Telescopes Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here. We’ve got a solid run of swell on the way for Telescopes, but the first few days are a bit of a mixed bag. The water’s sitting at 85°, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing weird going on there.

The pattern kicks off from Tuesday morning, August 4th, with a medium-period SSW groundswell at 4ft, but a 12 mph northerly breeze puts a cross-shore chop on it. The combined swell energy is moderate (1293), but the wind’s messing with the surface. Tuesday arvo gets worse – a cross-onshore blow and bigger numbers, but it’s a write-off. Wednesday morning, August 5th, is a bit better with a lighter northerly, but the swell is still only 5ft and the period’s dropped to 15 seconds. The energy’s moderate (1405), but the surf is still marginal. The whole of Thursday, August 6th, is a letdown with a bigger 6ft SSW swell but poor wind conditions making it choppy and messy. Friday, August 7th, is similar – the swell’s getting cleaner in the arvo though, with a 7ft SSW swell and a hint of cross-off wind, but the risk of thunderstorms is a worry.

Now, the real standout starts on Saturday, August 8th. The morning brings a 7ft SSW swell with a 16-second period, and a light 6 mph cross-off wind from the NE. The combined energy is strong (2108), and the surf is clean. By Saturday afternoon, it goes glassy – a 3 mph easterly breeze, zero chop, and the same 7ft swell. This is the best on offer early on. Sunday, August 9th, keeps the clean theme going with a 6ft SSW swell and cross-off winds, but the period drops to 15 seconds. The energy is still strong (1639), but it’s not quite the peak of Saturday.

Monday, August 10th, has a bit of a split. The morning’s a 5ft SSW swell, but the afternoon gets interesting – a 4ft S swell with a very long 21-second period. The energy spikes to 2346, and it’s clean. That long period means the waves will have plenty of push and shape, but at a reef break like Telescopes, it’s an expert’s zone. The rest of the week from Tuesday, August 11th, through to Friday, August 14th, is a mix of clean mornings and slightly choppy afternoons, with swell sizes ranging from 4ft to 6ft from the S and SSW. The energy is moderate to strong, but the consistency is there.

The second week is where it gets really exciting. Saturday, August 15th, starts with a 4ft S swell (19-second period) and glassy conditions, then the arvo bumps up to 6ft SSW. The energy is strong (2089). Sunday, August 16th, is clean and consistent, with a 6ft SSW swell. Monday, August 17th, has a small 3ft S swell in the morning, but the arvo brings a 5ft S swell with a 19-second period and glassy conditions – that’s a surprise packet. Tuesday, August 18th, is a massive highlight: a 7ft S swell in the morning, then a 7ft S swell in the arvo with dead calm, glassy conditions. The energy is very strong (2332). This is the best of the whole forecast period. Wednesday, August 19th, wraps it up with a 6ft SSW swell and offshore winds, then glassy conditions in the arvo.

For the beginners, the swell stays over 5ft for most of the good days, and over 8ft on the Tuesday arvo, so that’s expert territory. The long-period swells (over 15 seconds) are a caveat – they’ll be better for point breaks and reefs, but Telescopes is a reef, so it’ll handle it. Crowds are sometimes an issue here, so be ready for company on the standout days.

The biggest gap is right at the start – Tuesday and Wednesday arvo are poor, and Thursday is a write-off. But from Saturday morning, it’s a solid run for the rest of the 16 days.

Rusty.

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