The Three Bears Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll level with you – the next week and a half at The Three Bears is a real mixed bag, and for the most part, it’s a battle with the wind. This exposed reef break has some serious size coming through, but the conditions are going to test your patience. The water is sitting at 66° right now, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least you won't be freezing while you're getting blown to bits.

We’ve got a massive, very long-period groundswell rolling in from the west-southwest on Tuesday the 18th and Wednesday the 19th, with solid 12 ft sets and a combined energy that’s off the charts (6667 and 6203 respectively). Problem is, it’s accompanied by a fresh cross-onshore breeze and rain, so it’s just a lumpy, poor mess. Not worth paddling out. That energy eases a bit on Thursday the 20th, but still 10 ft and cross-onshore wind keeps it fairly choppy and marginal. Not your day.

The first real glimmer of hope comes on Friday the 21st. The swell drops to a more manageable 8 ft from the west-southwest, but the key change is a morning of clear skies and a light offshore easterly breeze. That will clean things right up, making it excellent for experienced surfers. The combined energy is still very strong (2968). You’ll feel the power. It's a standout window. Late Friday and into Saturday the 22nd, the wind swings back and the quality drops off.

Then we hit a bit of a lull through the weekend and into the start of next week. Swell dips under 8 ft but the wind is all over the shop – cross, cross-on, choppy, lumpy. Nothing to get excited about. Tuesday the 25th gets ugly with a near gale warning and 28-31 mph winds, which is more kite-surfing territory if anything.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting again. Thursday the 27th of August is another standout. The swell is back to a clean 8 ft from the west-southwest with a solid 13-second period. Morning offshore easterly winds and afternoon light cross-offshore breezes will have it clean and excellent for experienced surfers. The energy is still strong (1887). That’s your best bet for the second week.

Friday the 28th has a small window with a nice 5 ft swell and moderate offshore wind, but it’s marginal. Then we get a bit of a stretch of choppy cross-on wind again until Monday the 31st, which cleans up with a light cross-offshore breeze and 7 ft sets. That’s another decent session.

Looking further out, Tuesday the 1st of September has a solid 10 ft, very long-period (17s) groundswell, but the wind is cross and it looks messy. Wednesday the 2nd of September, though, is the pick of the whole outlook. You’ve got an 8 ft west-southwest groundswell with a very long 16-second period, light cross-offshore winds, and the highest score of the whole run. The combined energy is very strong (3326). This one is for experienced surfers only – that size and period on a reef demands respect. It’s a quiet, clean morning session to aim for.

So, to sum it up: the first standout is Friday morning the 21st of August. The second, and the best of the trip, is Wednesday morning the 2nd of September. Everything else is either too windy, too messy, or just not worth the drive.

Rusty.

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