Ter Heijde Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Ter Heijde.

Right off the bat, I’ve got to be straight with you – this 16-day window is a bit of a bummer. There’s not a single recommendation that scores above a zero, and every single record is stamped "poor surf conditions." So, no standouts, no hidden gems, just a long stretch of flat to weak, messy surf. The first few days are particularly grim, with tiny swell and poor winds. We’ve got a gap of days with no real surf to speak of right from the start. The first mention of any swell over 3 feet doesn’t even show up until the 9th of August, and even then, the conditions are still not great.

Let’s break it down. On Saturday the 1st of August, the morning is glassy and calm with a tiny 1 ft NW swell and a very short period of 5 seconds – the combined energy is just 7 – so it’s weak and pretty much unsurfable. The water temperature is 70°, which is 6° warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s very unusual, and it’s a nice change if you’re just having a swim, but it won’t help the waves. The afternoon sees a light onshore breeze and the swell drops to 1 ft.

Sunday the 2nd and Monday the 3rd are similar – ankle-snappers in the 0.7 ft to 1 ft range with onshore or cross-off winds that keep things clean but tiny. The combined energy stays in the single digits. We go through the rest of the first week with nothing above 1 ft until Wednesday the 5th, when we get a bit of a pulse from the WSW – 3 ft in the morning, but the wind is a moderate cross-shore, so it’s choppy. The energy is still weak at 35.

Thursday the 6th is more of the same: 3 ft WSW swell but with a fresh cross-onshore kicking up a chop. It’s not worth paddling out for.

The second week starts to see a slight increase in size. On Sunday the 9th of August, the morning has 3 ft from the NNW with a period of just 4 seconds – that’s short-period wind swell, and the energy is still low at 23. The afternoon improves a bit to 4 ft NW, but with a 5-second period it’s weak and messy, and the wind is onshore from the NW. Combined energy is 82 – still weak.

Monday the 10th of August is the biggest we’ll see: 4 ft in the morning from the NNW, period 7 seconds, and the energy climbs to 129 (moderate). But the wind is a moderate cross-onshore, making it choppy. The afternoon pushes to 4 ft with a period of 8 seconds and energy of 202 (moderate), but a fresh cross-onshore wind from the north at 19 mph makes it lumpy. This is the only time the swell gets over 4 ft, and even then, it’s not clean. It’s a beach/jetty setup, so with that wind and swell, it’s looking more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

From Tuesday the 11th onward, the swell drops back to 2 ft-3 ft with onshore winds, and the energy fades. There’s a glassy morning on Wednesday the 12th and Thursday the 13th, but the swell is barely 0.7 ft-1 ft. The last few days – the 15th and 16th – are just a windy, messy end with fresh to strong breezes and tiny swell.

So, the outlook is bleak. The consistent message is poor surf, no good options, and a long stretch of flatness. For this area, that’s not unusual – the season can have these blank runs. Keep an eye on the forecasts, but don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

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