The Harbour Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – this outlook for The Harbour is a tough one. We’ve got a long, dry spell of nothing but poor surf conditions for over a week. From Thursday the 13th right through to Sunday the 16th, and then again from Monday the 17th through to Monday the 24th of August, it’s mostly flat or rubbish – tiny ankle-biters, onshore chop, or just plain no waves at all. That’s a proper gap of about 11 days with nothing worth paddling out for. There’s only one true standout in the whole 16-day window, and it’s on Tuesday the 18th of August.

So, here’s the rundown. From day one, Thursday the 13th, you’ve got a weak 0.9m (3ft) swell from the SE at a short 6-second period, but the wind is a cross-off from the south at 6 mph. It’s clean, but the combined swell energy is a paltry 60 – weak stuff. Honestly, it’s poor surf quality, not worth your time. Friday the 14th through Monday the 17th is a write-off: swells drop to 0.6m (2ft) or less, winds go onshore or cross-on, and the energy reading dips into the single digits or zeros. You can stay home.

Now, the one bright spot: Tuesday morning, the 18th of August. The Harbour (big–beach/groyne setup) picks up a 1.4m (5ft) swell from the ENE with a 6-second period. Now, that period is short, so it’s a windswell, not a groundswell, but the combined energy hits 256 – that’s moderate wave energy, and it’s the biggest reading we see. The wind? Glassy – 3 mph from the SE, which is basically dead calm. That means the surf will be clean, no chop, smooth faces. The forecast scores this as “expect good surf conditions” – and I’m with it. For an intermediate-level break that’s fairly consistent and exposed to SE swell, this is your session. Keep in mind, it can get crowded here sometimes, so expect a few locals out. Water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing unusual.

After that, the afternoon on the 18th drops to 0.7m (2ft) with a cross-off breeze – still clean but much weaker. Wednesday the 19th brings a 1.1m (4ft) SE swell but nasty cross-on winds at 16 mph and a choppy mess. Thursday the 20th has a 0.9m (3ft) ENE swell with 8-second period, but the wind is cross-on again, and the energy is 117 – moderate but ruined by the breeze. From Friday the 21st through to Friday the 28th, it’s back to tiny waves, offshore winds, or flat spells. Nothing else comes close to that Tuesday morning window.

So, if you’re after a paddle, make your move on Tuesday the 18th, first light. The rest of the run? Not much to get excited about. But it tends not to stay poor forever – forecasts can shift. Keep an eye out.

Rusty.

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