The Wedge Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s shaping up for The Wedge over the next couple of weeks.

To be straight with you, the forecast is looking pretty quiet for a while. The Wedge is a unique beast, a breakwater slab that needs a specific combination of swell and tide to really fire. Right now, we’ve got a mix of small, weak swells and winds that aren't doing us any favours. The water is sitting at a very unusual 73°F, which is nearly 6°F warmer than normal for this time of year – feels more like a tropical lagoon than a typical breakwater. For the first several days, the wave energy is low (314 to 392), and the conditions are mostly marginal. We’re looking at a bit of a dry spell.

The first time we see some real potential is on Wednesday, 27 August, during the morning. The wind will be light and blowing offshore, clean. The swell bumps up to 4ft from the South, with a period of 12 seconds. That energy reading jumps significantly to 717 (moderate energy), which is the best we will see for a while. This is a good window for a confident surfer who knows the Wedge. The offshore wind is a major positive here, meaning the waves should be clean and lined up as they hit the breakwater. It’s not huge, but it’s the standout of the whole run.

After that, we get a few days of small, cross-onshore slop. The weekend of the 30th and 31st of August brings some very long-period groundswell (17 seconds) from the SSW, but the wave heights are small, around 3ft to 4ft, and the energy is moderate at best. The winds are a bit messy, cross or cross-on, so don't expect anything perfect.

Into the first week of September, the surf stays small. There’s a moment on the afternoon of Tuesday, 1 September, where the wind turns clean and cross-offshore, but the swell is still only 3ft from the South with a short period of 11 seconds and low energy (293). It’s a clean, rideable day, but nothing to get too excited about.

The latter part of the forecast, from the 3rd to the 9th of September, shows a few pulses of long-period SW groundswell (17-19 seconds). The wave heights are small, typically 2ft to 3ft, but the energy starts to climb again, hitting 601 on the 9th of September morning. However, the wind is consistently cross-onshore at that point, making for a bumpy surface. The Wedge is a finicky wave, and with those long-period swells, it can get a bit straight and unsettled, especially with onshore chop.

So, the honest truth? The best shot is the Wednesday morning of the 27th of August. The rest of the outlook is for the patient locals who are happy to ride tiny, clean waves. It’s not a write-off, but it’s not a week to be calling in sick.

Rusty.

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