The Left Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab a coffee and settle in. Rusty here with a look at what's coming down the pipe for The Left. It's a bit of a mixed bag over the next two and a bit weeks, so let's break it down.

We're kicking off with a bit of a flat spell. The first few days, starting Sunday the 23rd of August, are pretty grim. There's a little bit of swell around, but the wind is all over the shop – cross, cross-on, generally messy. The wave energy is weak (127) and the period is short. Not worth paddling out for. You'll be sitting there bobbing around for nothing.

The real action, the standout, hits us on Monday the 24th of August. Overnight, a solid groundswell fills in from the WNW, building to a clean 7 ft with a long 11-second period. The wave energy jumps right up to 947 (moderate to strong) and we've got light offshore winds from the SE. That's the combo we dream about. The Left is a point break, and this long-period groundswell from the optimal NW direction will really wrap in and line up. It'll be a bit of a handful at that size – definitely intermediate to expert territory – but for those who are keen, the early morning session on Monday is the absolute pick of the forecast. Expect some proper, clean walls. Just a heads up, it can get crowded here, and on a day like this, it will be.

The quality holds for the afternoon, though it drops slightly to 6 ft, and the wind picks up a bit, but it's still clean. Tuesday the 25th sees the swell ease off to 4 ft, but the wind stays offshore, so you'll still get some fun ones, though the energy drops back to moderate (318). It's a solid option for the intermediate crew.

After that, the surf goes quiet again. From Wednesday the 26th through to the end of the month, we're looking at a long gap of small, weak swell and poor conditions. There's a tiny window on Thursday morning the 27th with 2 ft waves that are clean but ordinary. You might get a longboard ride, but it's not a recommendation.

Now, looking into the second week, things get interesting again. We've got a promising run starting on Wednesday the 2nd of September. The swell builds back up to a solid 5 ft from the W, with a moderate energy (327) and light offshore winds. That Wednesday morning session looks good – clean, punchy waves. It’s a long-range call, so keep an eye on it, but the potential is there.

It holds through Thursday the 3rd with a similar 5 ft swell, but the wind is a bit stronger, making it more marginal. Then we get another little gem on Friday the 4th of September. The swell drops to a more manageable 3 ft, but the wind goes glassy from the SSE in the morning. Glassy conditions at The Left? That’s a rare treat. The wave energy is moderate (181) and the period is 9 seconds. It won't be the biggest day, but for clean, fun waves without a huge crowd, that Friday morning is a sleeper hit.

Finally, the period ends with a bit of a bang on Saturday the 5th of September. A bigger W swell, around 7 ft, is forecast with moderate energy (666). It’s still clean with offshore wind, but it's pushing into that size where it's only for the experts. The quality is called marginal, likely due to the tide or the size making things tricky.

So, to sum it up: The absolute best on offer is Monday the 24th of August – get on it. The second standout, a quieter one, is Friday the 4th of September for a glassy, fun session. Everything else is either small, windy, or waiting on a long-range promise. Stay tuned, the forecast can change.

Rusty.

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