The Jetty Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty here. Let’s cut to it: the next couple of weeks are looking pretty flat and messy for The Jetty. We’ve got a long stretch of small, weak, and choppy surf ahead, and the wind isn’t helping for most of it. The first real chance of anything even worth getting wet for doesn’t show up until around Wednesday the 19th, and even then, it’s a marginal call.

Right now, through the start of the period, we’re looking at tiny, short-period wind slop. The swell is hanging around 2ft, with periods of just 6 seconds, and the energy is weak (40 to 58). The wind is mostly cross or cross-onshore, so it’s messy out there. Friday the 7th sees a slight bump to 3ft, but the period is still short and the energy, while moderate (111), is let down by a cross-shore wind. It’s just not lining up.

The weekend and the start of next week are pretty flat and all over the shop. We’re seeing a mix of tiny swell, some cross-offshore breezes that will clean it up but there’s just nothing to ride. The energy drops right off, sometimes to below 20. It’s a frustrating stretch where you’ll be staring at a lake-like surface, wondering where the ocean went.

Things start to pick up a touch from Sunday the 16th, with the swell building slowly to around 4ft to 4ft. The direction swings around to the east, but with a period of only 6 to 7 seconds, it’s still just short-period windswell. The energy picks up, hitting 147 by Monday afternoon, but the wind is cross-onshore, making it choppy and bumpy. It’s not what you want to be paddling out into.

Now, the one small glimmer in all of this is Wednesday morning, the 19th of August. We finally get a bit of a glassy window. The wind drops right out, going calm, and the swell is a clean 2ft from the east with a slightly longer 8-second period. The energy is still weak (65), and the call is only “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” but for this run, that’s the best we’ve got. It’s a dawn patrol mission, you’ll be fighting for the smallest of waves, but at least it won’t be a washing machine out there. The afternoon blows out again with a cross-onshore breeze, so your window is tight.

Honestly, if you’re desperate for a paddle, that Wednesday morning is your only real look. The rest of the time, the setup is more frustrating than fun. The swell is too small, the period is too short, and the wind is almost always on the wrong side. There’s a chance the forecast shifts, as it’s still a fair way out, but based on what I’m seeing, this is a two-week blank for anyone who wants a proper surf. Keep the board in the car, but don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

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