The Harbour Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here again. Let’s talk about The Harbour. I’ve scanned the charts, and it’s a real quiet stretch. We’re looking at a big hole of nothing at the beginning, so it’s a long wait for anything to happen.

The outlook starts with a flat spell. From Thursday the 20th of August right through the morning of Monday the 25th, there’s no surf to be had. The wind is messy, mostly cross-onshore, and the wave energy is a big fat zero. That’s a solid 5-day blank stretch. A tough one.

Things finally show a pulse on the morning of Tuesday the 25th, but it’s tiny. We get a 2 ft swell from the SE with a short period of 4 seconds. The combined energy is a weak 14, and it’s still a bit bumpy with a cross-shore wind. The afternoon is a little better at 2 ft, but still poor.

The real action, if you want to call it that, starts on Wednesday the 26th. The morning brings a 7 ft swell from the ESE with a 7-second period. That’s moderate wave energy (361), but it’s cross-onshore and choppy. By the afternoon, the swell drops to 6 ft, but the energy jumps to 545 (strong). Still, the wind is cross-shore and the conditions are poor. This looks more like a kite-surfing day than a paddle session.

Then, a glimmer. Thursday morning, the 27th of August. The wind goes glassy, a light NE at 5 km/h. We’ve got a 5 ft swell from the ESE, short period at 7 seconds, but it’s clean. The energy is 208 (moderate). The report says “expect good surf conditions,” but the score is low. It’s the closest we get to a standout, but it’s a marginal call. The afternoon turns onshore and it’s gone.

Friday the 28th has a bit of size – 5 ft from the E with a longer 9-second period and very strong energy (603) in the morning. Again, the wind is onshore, and it’s questionable. The afternoon is a write-off.

The rest of the run into the first week of September is a sad story of small, weak swells, onshore winds, and flat spells. The water temp is about 58°F, which is normal for the time of year.

So, the only highlight, and I mean the *only* one, is the Thursday morning, 27th of August. It’s not big, it’s not perfect, but it’s the only time the wind goes glassy and we have some rideable swell at The Harbour. For a spot that’s fairly consistent, this is a poor run. It’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

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