The Wedge Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into what’s happening for the next couple of weeks.

To be honest, looking at the whole 16-day window, it’s a pretty grim stretch for The Wedge. There’s no real standout session, and frankly, most of the time the conditions are just poor. The first week is a write-off with tiny, messy swell and dodgy wind. The second week shows a bit more energy in the water, but the quality just isn’t there.

We start off Thursday, August 6th, with a tiny 2ft SSW swell at a moderate 13 seconds. The water is a toasty 73°, which is a huge 7° warmer than normal for this time of year – that’s very unusual. But don’t get stoked, because the wind is a cross-shore at 9 mph, and the wave comment is “poor surf conditions”. The combined energy is weak at 203. Friday and Saturday, August 7th and 8th, are much the same. We’re looking at 2ft to 3ft SSW swell, with periods around 13-19 seconds, but the wind stays cross or cross-onshore, leaving the surface chopped up. The combined energy sits between 276 and 330, which is still weak. The scores are zeros and ones.

The whole first week, right through to Thursday, August 13th, is a frustrating grind. The swell never gets above 3ft, and the wind is almost always cross-on or onshore. The combined energy tops out at 356, still in the weak category. It’s just not worth paddling out for.

Now, heading into the second week, we see a bit of a bump in energy. Friday, August 14th, the combined energy jumps to 420, and then 484 in the afternoon, but the swell is still only 2ft to 3ft. The wind is cross-shore or cross-on, and the waves are still marginal. Saturday, August 15th, shows the highest energy of the whole forecast at 501 in the morning and 589 in the afternoon, with the swell hitting 3ft from the SSW at 16 seconds. But even then, the wind is cross-shore, and the comment is “poor surf conditions”. The long period (16s) means this is a groundswell, which can be a bit roly-poly and straight at a beach break like The Wedge, but it’s not like we’re getting any quality anyway.

From Sunday, August 16th, onward, it’s back to small, weak, and onshore. The combined energy drops back into the 200s and 300s, with swell sizes between 2ft and 3ft. The wind is mostly onshore, which is a killer. The last few days of the forecast, through to Friday, August 21st, are just a repeat of the same poor story.

Honestly, there’s nothing here to get excited about. The Wedge is a breakwater, and it’s pretty exposed to the SSW, but the wind is just never playing ball. This is a stretch where you’re better off finding something else to do. The surf is tiny, weak, and messy. Given the consistent onshore and cross-onshore flow, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

A blank run like this can happen, but it tends not to stay poor for long. Forecasts can change.

Rusty.

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