The Patch Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here. Let’s talk about The Patch over the next couple weeks. It’s a slow stretch overall, so don’t get your hopes up unless tiny, clean surf is your jam.

There’s a bit of a dry spell at the start. From Saturday the 8th through Monday the 10th, the surf is pretty weak and marginal. Saturday afternoon has a tiny 2ft southwest swell, but it’s cross-shore and a little choppy, with weak energy (290). Sunday morning bumps up to 5ft from the west-northwest, but it’s still cross-shore and the period is short at 10 seconds. Energy is moderate (574), but it’s not clean enough to get excited about. The water’s a touch warmer than normal at 60°.

From Tuesday the 11th to Friday the 15th, it’s a total write-off. Onshore winds and poor conditions across the board. Energy readings in the 300s and 400s don’t mean much when the wind is howlin’ onshore. No recommendations in that stretch at all.

Things start to look up from Sunday the 16th onward. The energy stays moderate—readings like 418, 399, and 349—but the wind finally turns light and cross-shore. Swell sits around 3ft from the southwest with periods of 14 to 16 seconds. That’s groundswell, which will give cleaner lines, but at a beach break, long-period swells can be a bit straight and less exciting. Still, Sunday morning and afternoon are worth a paddle.

The real standout comes on Monday the 17th and Tuesday the 18th of August. Monday afternoon has "good surf conditions" with 3ft southwest swell at 15 seconds and a clean cross-off breeze. Tuesday morning is similar, with 2ft swell and a clean west-northwest offshore flow. That’s the window to aim for. Crowds are "sometimes," so you might have some company, but it shouldn’t be too crazy.

Best on offer: Sunday the 16th for a glassy session, but the highlight is Monday the 17th afternoon and Tuesday the 18th morning—tiny but clean with offshore or cross-off breezes making it buttery.

Into the second week, the size stays small, mostly under 3ft, with swell from the southwest and west. The 19th looks tidy with a 3ft southwest swell and cross-off winds, but the wind picks up to 19 mph in the arvo, which will mess it up. The 20th is also decent in the morning with a 3ft west-northwest swell. After that, onshore winds return from the 21st onward, with bigger but messier windswell around the 22nd and 23rd.

To wrap it up: not a period for big waves or barrels, but if you’re happy with small, clean conditions, the 16th through 19th will give you the best windows. The energy is moderate, so you won’t be workin’ too hard, and the water is a bit warmer than usual. Aim for Monday and Tuesday—those are the ones to mark on the calendar.

Rusty.

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