The Left Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab your board and let’s talk about the next couple of weeks at The Left. It’s a bit of a slow grind out there for a while, but there are a couple of windows where it might just turn on. Don’t get too excited for the first part of this forecast though, because we’ve got some grovelly, junky surf and messy winds to deal with.

Right off the bat, this Saturday and Sunday are looking pretty poor. We’ve got some small, weak swell in the water – around 4ft – but it’s coming from the west with a short, weak period. The winds are cross-shore and lumpy, making it a bit of a washing machine out there. The water temp is sitting at 56°F, which is about average for this time of year, so it’s not a shock to the system. Honestly, I’d probably find something else to do this weekend. The energy is weak, hitting around 130 to 294 on the dial, which just isn’t enough to push any decent shape through.

Monday and Tuesday stay pretty flat and weak, with the swell dropping right off. We’re looking at ankle-biters in the 2ft to 2ft range, and while the wind is a bit more clean and cross-offshore, there’s just no power behind it. The energy readings are down in the 60s and 80s, which is about as weak as it gets. You’d be fighting for nothing.

But hold on, Wednesday the 19th and Thursday the 20th are where things start to get a little more interesting. We finally see a small bump of west swell push in. Wednesday morning is looking like the best bet of this early stretch. The swell jumps to 3ft, but it’s carrying more energy (205) and the period stretches out to 9 seconds. We get some light east-southeast winds, which should keep the faces reasonably clean. It won't be big, but it'll be the best quality we've seen so far. The Left is a point break, and this early west swell could wrap in for some fun, lined-up waves. You’ll want to be on it early before the afternoon winds get a bit cross. The swell direction is from the west, which is right out of the optimum direction for this spot, so that's a plus.

However, don’t get too attached to that idea, because Thursday afternoon through the following week looks pretty average again. The swell tries to hang around the 3ft mark, but the period drops and we get onshore winds from the north and northwest. It’s going to be choppy, messy, and a bit of a battle. There’s a consistent stretch of onshore winds from the 21st right through the 26th, keeping conditions poor. I’d be checking other things to be honest, maybe a bit of work around the house.

Now, after that long, dull stretch, there is a little flicker of hope right at the end of the forecast. On the morning of Thursday, the 27th of August, we finally get a real break in the conditions. The wind goes glassy, which is a huge deal. There’s a little 3ft, north-northwest swell that will be breaking along the point. It’s only a modest wave, but with that glassy surface, it might just be the cleanest surf we’ve seen in over a week. It won’t be big, but for a point break like The Left, a clean 3ft wave is all you need. Just keep an eye out – it's forecast for the morning, so if you can sneak out, that’s your move.

After that, the swell fades out pretty hard. It drops back down to around 2ft by the end of the month, and we get more of those strong westerly winds picking up. That last week of the forecast is looking pretty bleak again.

So, if you're looking for the standout days, it’s a toss-up between Wednesday morning the 19th and the glassy morning on the 27th. Wednesday has a touch more size and energy, but the 27th has that perfect, calm surface. If I had to pick one, I’d say the 27th could be a sneaky classic, just for how clean it will be. But remember, this is long-range, so don’t book the time off work just yet. The first few days are a scratchy, poor-quality story, so pick your moments wisely. This one is all about patience.

The crowds could be a bit of a factor on those good windows, as the consistency is listed as 'fairly consistent', so you might see a few other crew out there. But if the glassy conditions hold, it'll be worth sharing the line-up.

Alright, I’ll catch you down the beach.

Rusty

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