The Harbour Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what The Harbour has in store for us over the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with you—this is a tough one. We’re looking at a long, frustrating stretch of flatness and messy conditions before anything worth paddling out for shows up.

The Harbour is a beach and groyne setup, exposed to the swell. Water temps are sitting around 57°, which is pretty much right on the money for this time of year, nothing unusual there.

Right now and for the next week and a half, it’s a write-off. From Tuesday the 18th right through until Friday the 27th of August, we’ve got next to nothing. There’s a long gap of over a week with no real surf to speak of. A few small, weak pulses try to show on the 18th and 19th, but we’re talking 2ft at best with a short, weak 4-second period from the SSE, and combined swell energy barely hitting 12—that’s feeble. Winds are mostly onshore or cross-shore, often strong, making things choppy and lumpy. Thursday the 20th sees a fresh 22 mph north wind kick up, killing any hope. This pattern of flat or junk continues until the 27th.

Now, the first real glimmer of hope comes on Thursday the 27th of August. We finally see some life, with a 4ft swell from the SE at 6 seconds. The combined energy climbs to 72 (still weak, but it's something). The wind goes clean and cross-off, which is a huge plus. The surf will be small and a bit weak, but clean. Not a standout, but it’s the first sign the ocean is waking up.

The true standout, the one worth circling on your calendar, is Sunday the 30th of August. We get a 4ft swell rolling in from the East with a period of 8 seconds, pumping combined energy up to 239 (moderate energy). The morning is absolutely glassy, winds from the North at just 3 mph. This is as good as it gets for The Harbour in this forecast. The waves will be clean, shape up nicely, and it’s a great size for intermediates. Just a heads up, the afternoon swings onshore, so get in early. The swell direction from the East matches up well with the optimum SE direction for the spot, so it should wrap in nicely.

After that, it gets messy again into the start of September, but then on Wednesday the 2nd of September, we get another shot. A 5ft NE swell with an 8-second period and a combined energy of 264 (moderate energy) rolls in. The wind is light and offshore from the SSW, making for clean conditions. This could be a good call too, though it’s further out, so keep an eye on it.

Bottom line: There’s a big dry spell. The best window is definitely the morning of Sunday the 30th, with Wednesday the 2nd of September a promising backup. The rest of the time, you’re better off staying home or finding something else to do.

Rusty.

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