The Harbour Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab your board, but maybe don't get too excited just yet. The Harbour is looking at a pretty bleak stretch of weather and swell for the next couple of weeks. We’ve got a big gap of nothing happening, so let's get into it.

From Friday the 21st of August right through until the morning of Monday the 25th, there’s simply no surf to speak of. The Harbour is flat, with poor conditions and cross-onshore winds making it a total write-off. The water is sitting at 58°, which is about average for the time of year, so that’s one thing we don’t have to complain about.

We finally see a tiny pulse on Tuesday the 25th, but it’s only 2ft of weak, short-period windswell from the SE. The wind is a messy cross-onshore, and the combined energy is a measly 10. It’s not worth paddling out.

Wednesday the 26th brings a slight bump. The morning shows 2ft from the SE with a glassy offshore wind, but the energy is still weak (41). The afternoon picks up to 4ft from the ESE, and the energy hits a moderate 126. Still, it’s called poor surf conditions, so I’d be cautious.

Now, Thursday the 27th of August is about the only thing that might get your heart rate up. The morning sees a punchy 7ft from the ESE, with a combined energy of 351. The wind is a light cross-onshore, which isn't ideal, but it’s manageable. The real standout is the afternoon: 8ft from the SSE, with a solid energy of 838. That’s a lot of water moving around. The period is a short 7 seconds, so it’ll be a bit racy and lumpy. The wind is light cross-shore, which is okay. This is expert territory due to the size, and with the short period, it’s going to be a bit of a grinder. It’s the best on offer, but it’s not perfect.

After that, Friday the 28th drops back to 3ft from the ENE, with clean cross-offshore winds from the SSE. The energy is moderate at 155. It’s surfable, but nothing special.

The rest of the forecast is a slow fade into tiny, weak swells. The morning of Sunday the 30th is totally glassy, with a tiny 1ft from the SSE, but it’s basically a lake. The same goes for the 31st and into September.

There is a late bright spot on Saturday the 5th of September. The afternoon shows a solid 6ft from the NE, with a good period of 9 seconds and a combined energy of 490. The wind is a clean cross-offshore from the S. This is the best-looking swell of the whole window, but it’s a long way out, so don’t bank on it just yet. If it holds, The Harbour will have some decent, clean waves.

Honestly, the only real shot this period is Thursday the 27th afternoon for the big, powerful, but messy swell. The rest is for the die-hards or the kite surfers, because the wind is going to be sideways and the waves are going to be small.

Stay patient, Rusty.

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