The Washout Surf Forecast and Surf Report

First up, Saturday the 8th – forget it. We’ve got a risk of thunderstorms with a solid SSE breeze at 20 km/h, making a mess of the 0.8m SE swell. The combined energy is only 80 (weak) and the water temp is a touch warmer than normal at 30°, about 2° above average. It’s not good. Sunday the 9th starts glassy in the morning with zero wind – at least it’s pretty to look at – but the swell is a pathetic 0.6m with a short 8 second period and combined energy of just 35. Not worth paddling out.

Monday the 10th through to Friday the 14th sees a run of tiny, weak swells between 0.4m and 1.0m, all with periods of 4 to 6 seconds (pure wind chop). The winds are either cross-off or cross, but the energy stays in the weak range – never cracking 100. Even the cleanest mornings, like Wednesday the 12th or Thursday the 13th, have barely enough push to stand up. This is strictly for beginners wanting to practice pop-ups on ankle-biters.

The first small highlight appears Sunday the 16th afternoon. We get a glassy 0.5m SSE swell with 8 second period and combined energy of 45 – still weak, but the glassy wind makes it look okay. The report calls it “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” That’s as good as it gets for a while. Monday the 17th afternoon gives us offshore WNW wind at 25 km/h with a 0.5m SE swell – clean but tiny.

Tuesday the 18th morning is clean and light, but the swell is only 0.4m with a long 12 second period, combined energy of 79. That long period means long waits between sets. Could be fun on a longboard if you’re patient. Tuesday afternoon, the energy jumps to 151 (moderate) with a 0.9m ESE swell and 10 second period, but the wind is cross-onshore at 15 km/h, making it choppy.

Thursday the 20th and Friday the 21st see mostly poor conditions. Late Friday afternoon, a 1.2m E swell shows up with a short 7 second period and combined energy of 142, but it’s cross-shore at 20 km/h from the northeast – lumpy and uninviting.

The last few days – Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd – are ruled by a persistent easterly breeze at 25 km/h, cross-on, with tiny 0.8m to 0.9m E swells and periods of just 4-5 seconds. Energy drops back to weak levels.

Verdict: There are no standouts here. The best bet, if you’re desperate, is Sunday the 16th afternoon for a glassy but very small session, or Tuesday the 18th morning for a clean, long-period ankle-snapper on a longboard. Not a run to write home about. The Washout is a beach-and-pier setup, and with this lack of size and messy winds, it’s honestly more interesting for kite surfers than paddle surfers right now.

Rusty

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