The Wall Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – the next couple of weeks are going to test your patience if you’re chasing waves. We’ve got a long stretch of nothing much on the cards, before a glimmer of hope shows its face way down the line.

The immediate future is flat and messy. We’re looking at a solid run of poor conditions through the end of August and the first couple of days of September. The swell energy is weak, with readings mostly in the low double digits to low triple digits, which tells you there’s just nothing pushing in. We’re talking knee-high dribble at best, and the wind is going to be all over the shop, mostly onshore or cross-shore, making it feel even worse. There’s also a spot of light rain and some thunderstorms around Friday, but even that won't save the surf. To be honest, it’s a blank run. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so at least you won't be freezing while you’re sitting there waiting for a wave that isn’t coming.

The middle of next week is where things start to look a little more interesting. On Wednesday the 2nd of September, the swell is forecast to pick up to around 5ft, and energy jumps into the low 200s, but the wind is straight onshore from the east. That’s going to chop it up and make it pretty ugly. Not worth paddling out for. Then from Thursday, the swell backs off again, leaving us with those very ordinary, marginal conditions.

The real window, the one bright spot in this whole outlook, arrives on the weekend of the 5th and 6th of September. We see a pulse of longer-period swell, around 11 seconds, coming from the east, and the energy readings jump into the strong range – we’re talking 341 and then 403 on the Saturday. The wave heights are pushing chest to head-high, around 4ft on The Wall. Saturday morning is the standout. It’s looking glassy, with a slight offshore breeze and that better quality groundswell. That’s the morning to get wet. This is a good window for the more experienced surfers. A swell of this size and period is going to be powerful, and while it might not be perfect, it’s the closest thing we get to a proper surf in this forecast. Just be aware that with good surf, crowds are always a possibility at a spot like The Wall.

After that little pulse, it fades out again. The surf drops off through the week, and we get a few days of clean but tiny waves with strong offshore cross-winds, especially Monday and Tuesday. It’s poor again, and the run continues to be quiet. This looks like a case of a long wait for one or two decent sessions.

So, in a nutshell – don’t hold your breath for the next few days. Save your energy for Saturday the 5th of September. Set the alarm for dawn, check the tide, and be on it. It’s not going to be perfect, but it’s the best on offer in a very long stretch of flatness.

Rusty.

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