The Spit Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, checking in. Let's see what we've got cookin' for The Spit over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, it's a pretty grim start. From August 1st right through to August 10th, it's a real mixed bag of small, weak, and messy conditions. We're looking at a lot of cross-shore and cross-onshore wind, short-period junk, and combined wave energy mostly in the weak range (under 100). There are a few moments where it cleans up a little, like Tuesday morning August 4th with a light offshore wind and clean surface, but the swell is barely a ripple at 1ft, so it's not really worth paddling out for. The only real glimmer of hope in that first stretch is early Wednesday morning, August 5th. The wind goes glassy, the water is slick, and we get a tiny 3ft of east swell, but it's still a pretty ordinary wave. The Spit is a beginner-friendly river mouth, so it doesn't need much, but those first 10 days are a write-off.

Then, things start to shift. The real action kicks off on Monday, August 10th. The wind goes offshore from the west-northwest in the afternoon, and the swell starts to build. We see a 3ft easterly swell with a clean, moderate offshore wind. The combined energy is moderate (182). That's the first day it's worth even thinking about it. But the standout day is Tuesday, August 11th. The morning session is where it's at. We've got a solid offshore breeze from the west at 15 mph, clean lines, and a 3ft east swell with a moderate combined energy of 207. The Spit handles east swell well, and with that wind, it's going to be pure. That Tuesday morning is the best of the first two weeks. It's not giant, but it will be clean, fun, and likely uncrowded for a spot that can get busy.

Now, brace yourselves. By Thursday, August 13th, the swell starts to get serious. The morning brings a 6ft south swell with a fresh offshore wind, but the period is short (7 seconds), so it's a bit of a lumpy mess. The combined energy is strong (739). That's a red flag for a beginner spot like this. Then Friday, August 14th, it goes completely bonkers. The swell jumps to 10ft from the east-northeast with a combined energy of 1188 – that's strong wave energy. The wind is offshore, and the tide is favorable, but the model is screaming that this is too big for The Spit. This is expert-only territory, and even then, it's going to be a washing machine. Saturday, August 15th, and Sunday, August 16th, are even bigger, with swells hitting 13ft and 15ft and combined energy skyrocketing into the thousands (3423, 5800). That's a full-on, dangerous, hold-your-breath kind of swell. For a river mouth, that's just not going to be fun. It's a miss for the paddlers, but if you're into kite surfing, that Saturday afternoon with the wind coming onshore, that setup might be more your speed.

So, to wrap it up: the first 10 days are flat and ordinary. The real pick of the litter is Tuesday morning, August 11th. After that, the swell goes huge and dangerous. If you're not an expert, stay out of the water from the 13th onward.

Rusty, signing off.

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