The Bowl Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

The 16-day window is a mixed bag for The Bowl. We’ve got a lot of flat, weak, or messy days to work through before anything really gets going. The first week is honestly a write-off for any decent surf, with a long stretch of small, sloppy, onshore slop. There’s no real surf on offer until the first week of September, and even then it’s touch and go. The real standout arrives on the 4th of September, so keep that date in mind – it’s a long way off but it’s the one to circle.

The Bowl is a reef set-up that needs that NW swell. The water temp is sitting about average for the time of year, nothing unusual there.

Right now, through Thursday the 27th and Friday the 28th, we’ve got tiny, weak waves. The swell is barely 1 ft to 2 ft, and while the wind is cross-off at times, it’s just not enough to do anything with. The combined energy is a measly 18-68 (weak). This is a total skip.

The weekend (29th-30th August) sees a bit more size, pushing 4 ft to 5 ft, but it’s all from the north and north-northwest with a short, weak period of 7 seconds. The wind is a fresh cross-onshore, making it lumpy and choppy. Energy climbs to 152-269 (moderate), but the quality is poor. This is not worth paddling out for.

Monday the 31st offers a small window of reprieve. The wind goes light offshore from the south in the morning, cleaning up the 3 ft swell. The energy is just 93 (weak), so it’s tiny, but it’s the cleanest surf we’ll have seen in days. It’s surfable, but very ordinary.

Tuesday the 1st of September has a morning window with a 7 ft W swell, but the period is a disappointing 6 seconds. The wind is cross-off from the WSW, keeping it clean, but the energy is 395 (moderate). The short period means it’ll lack shape and power. It’s marginal, and the afternoon turns to choppy onshore crap.

Now, hold onto your boards for the 4th of September. This is the standout. Friday morning we’ve got an 8 ft swell from the west with a 12-second period – that’s proper groundswell with real energy. The combined energy is 1692 (strong to very strong). The wind is cross-off from the SW, keeping it clean. The Bowl is an advanced, exposed reef that loves NW swell, and this west swell is close enough to the optimum to really fire. This is big, powerful, and clean. It’s going to be too big for beginners for sure, and the 8 ft+ sets on a reef will be strictly for the experienced crew. The afternoon on Friday the 4th stays good, with a 7 ft west swell, still clean, and energy at 1358 (strong). This is the best two-session day of the whole forecast.

Saturday the 5th of September sees the swell drop to 6 ft but the wind goes light cross-on from the NE, putting a ripple on the surface. It’s marginal, and the afternoon gets blown out again. The rest of the second week is a bit of a mess with onshore winds and lumpy conditions, so the 4th is your only real target.

In short, be patient. The first week is a dud. The morning of the 31st of August is a tiny, clean option if you’re desperate. But the real deal is Friday the 4th of September – get on it early.

Rusty.

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