The Bowl Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you: the next couple of weeks are pretty grim for a wave around here. The Bowl is a decent reef setup, but it’s going to be a whole lot of waiting and watching before anything worthwhile shows its face. There’s a real gap at the start, so don’t bother paddling out just yet.

For the first week, from the 16th through to the 24th of August, it’s basically a write-off. We’ve got small, weak swells with poor winds—on-shore and cross-shore junk chop. The energy’s barely registering, mostly in the low hundreds, like 133 (moderate energy) on the 16th, but that’s about it. The swell direction is all over the place, mostly N or NW, which isn’t what this break wants. Heights are small, mostly under 3 ft, and the period is weak and short. There’s a pulse on the 23rd with 7 ft and 8 ft swells, but the wind is howling at 25 mph and it’s messy. This is not surfing; this is a washing machine. If you’re into kitesurfing, that might be your only play, but for a paddle board, forget it.

The first real glimmer comes on Tuesday the 25th. The Bowl finally gets a bit of love. Swell is 5 ft from the W, period with some punch at 8-9 seconds, and the energy jumps to 433 (strong). The wind goes light offshore or cross-offshore, and it’s clean. That’s your standout. It’s still not perfect—the swell is a bit short-period—but it’s the only real chance to grab a clean, rideable wave at this spot. This is the one to circle on the calendar.

After that, it’s back to mostly poor conditions. The next notable window is Saturday the 29th. The swell is 6 ft from the WNW with a 10-second period, and the energy is strong at 565. Wind is offshore and fresh, so it should be clean, but it’s marked as marginal for tide. Could be good, but it’s less certain. Not a sure thing like the 25th.

Beyond that, it’s all pretty bleak. Small, weak, crossed-up junk for the rest of the month. The water temp is around 57°, which is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

So, bottom line: don’t hold your breath. The 25th is your best bet, with the 29th as a long-shot backup. The rest is just a whole lot of flat and lumpy. Forecasts can change, but right now, this is what we’ve got.

Rusty.

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