The Patch Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here.

Look, we’ve got a pretty quiet run ahead at The Patch. The swell is hanging around the 2ft to 3ft mark for most of the period, with a moderate energy level (combined energy values in the 200–500 range). Nothing huge, but there’s a bit of quality in the mix if you pick your windows.

The standout is Sunday morning, August 30th. The water is a touch warmer than normal at 61° for this time of year. We’ve got a clean 3ft swell from the SW, with a period of 16 seconds – that’s a proper groundswell, so expect longer gaps between sets, but the waves will have shape and push. The wind is glassy, dead calm. That’s about as good as it gets here. Crowds are possible, so get in early.

Friday August 28th has a couple of tidy sessions. The morning is a bit marginal with a 2ft SW swell and a cross-off breeze, but the afternoon cleans up nicely. The 2ft SW swell with a 19-second period and an offshore breeze makes for clean, lined-up waves. Moderate energy (519), but that long period means it’ll wrap in nicely.

Saturday August 29th is a bit more mixed. The morning has a 3ft SW swell but cross winds, so it’s a bit choppy. The afternoon picks up a 3ft SW swell but the wind gets stronger. Not the best.

From August 31st through the first week of September, the wave heights drop back to 2ft–3ft, and the periods shorten. The wind is mostly cross or cross-off, so it’s clean enough but the energy is low (combined energy values around 200–400). There are a few decent windows: Wednesday morning September 2nd is clean with a 2ft SSW swell, and Thursday September 3rd morning has a 2ft SW swell with a 19-second period, low energy but clean. Not standouts, but worth a look if you’re keen.

The second week quietens down further. The swell stays small, mostly 2ft–3ft, with periods dropping to 12-14 seconds. The wind is often cross or cross-off, so it’s clean but weak. The best of that week is Tuesday September 8th morning – glassy, 3ft SSW swell, period 13 seconds, clean waves. Thursday September 10th afternoon has a 2ft SW swell with a long 18-second period and a cross-off breeze, giving a little more push. But overall, it’s a long stretch of marginal surf.

If you’re a beginner, the swell rarely gets above 5ft, so it’s safe enough, but the small size means you’ll need to be patient. For experts, there’s not enough power to get excited.

So, the best of the 16 days is definitely Sunday August 30th morning. That glassy, long-period SW groundswell is the one to aim for. After that, it’s a waiting game for a better pulse.

Rusty out.

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