The Harbour Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

To be straight with you, it’s a lean stretch. We’ve got a lot of flat days and weak, choppy conditions to work through. The first real surfable day doesn’t pop up until the 5th of August, and even then, it’s nothing to write home about. There’s a long gap of nothing from the start of the forecast with no surf on offer until that Wednesday. So, manage your expectations.

The only spot we’ve got to look at is The Harbour (beach/groyne). It’s a fairly consistent break, but that doesn’t mean much when the swell is this quiet.

Let’s walk through it. The 3rd of August (Monday) shows tiny 1 ft to 2 ft waves from the SE and ESE, with periods around 4 seconds. That’s weak, short-period windswell with combined energy of just 5 to 12 – real weak. The wind is cross or cross-on, so it’s not clean.

We get a brief spike on the 4th of August (Tuesday) with 5 ft swell from the ESE/E, but the period is still short at 7 seconds, and the wind is onshore and cross-on, blowing at 12 to 16 mph. The combined energy jumps to 292, but with that wind, it’s going to be a messy, blown-out mess. Not one for the paddle.

The 5th of August (Wednesday morning) is the first time I’d even consider it. Swell drops to 5 ft from the E, period 6 seconds, with a light cross-shore wind from the SE at 6 mph. It’s still poor surf conditions, but by the afternoon you get a 5 ft swell from the ENE with a light cross-offshore breeze, and the comment says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” That’s the best we’ve got. Combined energy is 145 (moderate), but it’s marginal.

After that, it’s back to flat or tiny, weak waves for the rest of the run. The 10th of August (Monday) shows a glassy morning with a tiny 2 ft swell, but it’s got a period of only 3 seconds – barely a ripple. The 12th of August (Wednesday) offers a 3 ft swell from the NE with an 8-second period, glassy conditions in the morning, but the combined energy is only 67. It’s clean, but tiny.

Honestly, the standout window is the 5th of August, specifically the afternoon. That 5 ft swell from the ENE with light cross-offshore wind is the closest we get to a decent wave. It’s not big, it’s not long-period, but it’s the only call. Expect crowds are possible, as it’s the only game in town.

The water temp is about 58°F, which is normal for this time of year, so a decent 4/3 wetsuit is the go.

For the rest of the 16 days, there’s a long gap of very poor to no surf after the 5th, with a few tiny, messy days scattered in. It’s a quiet period, but forecasts can change.

Rusty.

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