The groyne Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming our way.

The long-range picture is a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got a decent swell window opening up, but the wind is going to be the main character for most of the run. The first few days are a write-off, but there’s a small window that looks like the real deal if you’re patient.

The Groyne is a reef setup, and it's fairly consistent when conditions line up. The water temp is sitting at 68°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you might want a slightly thicker spring suit.

We’ve got a total blank to start. Thursday the 6th and Friday the 7th are a no-go with poor surf and cross-onshore or cross-shore breezes. The swell is tiny and weak. Saturday the 8th is much the same story – light winds but the swell is too small and messy to bother with.

Okay, Sunday the 9th. This is the one. Early morning, we’ve got glassy conditions, 3ft of east swell with a 9-second period. The energy is moderate (211), and the wind is dead glass. This is the standout of the whole forecast. The swell is a bit small for a big day, but it’ll be clean and lined up. Light crowds are possible, so get in early. The swell direction is a touch east of the optimum south-east, but it’s a solid, fun wave.

After Sunday morning, the wind swings around and the surf quality drops off a cliff. Sunday afternoon gets choppy, and Monday the 10th turns offshore with a fresh breeze from the WSW, but the swell drops to 3ft and the energy is weak. It’s clean, but barely surfable. Tuesday the 11th is similar – small, clean, but very ordinary. Wednesday the 12th sees a jump in size to 5ft, but it’s a short-period, wind-affected mess from the north-northeast. Then it’s a long, slow decline into tiny, weak surf for the rest of the week.

The second week gets a bit ugly. From the 15th onward, the swell starts to build again, but the wind is all wrong. Saturday the 15th has a 5ft swell but it’s cross-onshore and short period. The real trouble starts Sunday the 16th with a 8ft south-east swell packing heavy energy (524), but it’s accompanied by a fresh cross-shore wind that’s going to make it lumpy and difficult. This is expert-only territory, and even then, it’s going to be a battle. The wind stays strong and cross-shore right through to the 20th, with the swell hovering between 6ft and 7ft. The whole setup is messy, cross-onshore, and with rain showers. Honestly, for a beach-and-reef setup like this, it looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing during that stretch.

So, to sum it up: your one and only true standout is Sunday morning, the 9th of August. Get it while it’s good. The rest is a long wait for more wind and swell that won’t cooperate.

Rusty.

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