The Wedge Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s talk about The Wedge. This is a breakwater slab that really needs a good SSW swell to show its teeth, and for the next couple of weeks, it’s mostly a waiting game. The water is 72°, which is about 5° warmer than usual – that’s much warmer than normal for this time of year, so you’ll be in boardies and a rashie for sure.

Right now, through the end of August and into early September, it’s pretty grim. We’ve got tiny, weak swell – mostly 1 ft to 2 ft – with a long period groundswell (14 to 18 seconds) that’s all bark and no bite. The combined wave energy is low, mostly between 201 and 333 (weak). Winds are cross or cross-on, and the surf is poor to marginal. Honestly, not much to get excited about.

There’s a slight bump on the 26th of August, with a 4 ft S swell at 13 seconds, moderate energy (698), but winds are onshore or cross-on, so it’s still messy. That pattern of small, marginal surf holds through the 1st of September.

Now, the first real standout shows up on Thursday morning, 3rd of September. The Wedge gets a 2 ft SSW swell, but the period is a very long 20 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 592 (moderate). The wind is light WNW at 15 km/h, cross-offshore, which means clean, glassy conditions. That’s a proper window for a slab like this – long-period groundswell from the optimum SSW direction, and the wind is just right. It’s not huge, but the quality will be there. This is your best bet in the first half of the outlook.

But the real standout is Saturday morning, 5th of September. The swell picks up to 4 ft from the SSW, 16-second period, and the combined energy is a serious 827 (strong). Wind is light NNW at 10 km/h, offshore. That’s textbook clean conditions at The Wedge. Expect very good surf. The afternoon stays promising with a cross-offshore breeze and even higher energy (964). This is the pick of the entire forecast – a solid, clean, long-period SSW swell with offshore winds.

Sunday, 6th of September, sees the swell building to 5 ft-5 ft from the S, with a shorter period (13-14 seconds) and the combined energy cranked up to 1367 (very strong). That’s a lot of power, but the period is shorter, so it’ll be a bit more on the pushy side. Winds are cross or cross-on, so it won’t be as clean as Saturday. Still, for the experienced, there’ll be some size.

After that, Monday the 7th of September drops off a bit – 5 ft swell, but the period shortens to 10-11 seconds, energy drops to 758 (moderate), and the winds are cross-shore. It’s not the same quality.

So, the call: Saturday morning, 5th of September, is your best shot. Clean offshore wind, solid SSW groundswell, and The Wedge doing what it does best. Thursday morning, 3rd of September, is a close second if you want that super-long period glass. Everything else is a pass.

Rusty.

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