The Well Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here, and I’ve been poring over the charts for The Well. It’s a solid reef setup that’s exposed to the south, so when the swell hits, it knows how to hold its shape.

We’ve got a sixteen-day window ahead, and it’s a proper rollercoaster. There’s a bit of a quiet patch right from the get-go, so the first real chance to get wet starts on the Saturday morning of the 22nd. That session is a write-off though – a solid 13 ft SW swell is pumping, but a 16 mph cross-on wind will have it chopped to pieces with poor surf conditions. Not worth it.

Hold out for the Sunday morning of the 23rd. That’s where we get our first standout. The wind swings to a light 9 mph cross-off from the NNW, cleaning up that 12 ft SW groundswell. The waves will have proper power with a 14-second period, and it’ll be legit exceptional for the experts out there. Later that afternoon the wind drops further, but a cross-on element will put a bit of a ripple on it.

Monday the 24th sees the swell ease back to 8 ft, but the real magic happens in the afternoon. The wind goes glassy – 3 mph from the NW – and that 8 ft SW swell (13-second period) will deliver some of the most ridable, clean surf of the entire run. Excellent conditions for experienced surfers. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, so a 3/2 steamer will do fine.

Tuesday through Wednesday morning of the 26th is a bit of a chop fest with messy cross and cross-on winds, but Thursday the 27th brings back clean conditions with light cross-off breezes and a smaller 6 ft to 6 ft SW groundswell. It’s still excellent for experienced surfers, just on a more mellow scale.

Now, pay attention. Friday the 28th morning is an absolute barnburner. A huge 12 ft groundswell from the WSW at a very long 17-second period is going to march through. The wind is light and cross-off from the NNW, keeping the reef clean for the experts. This is the absolute pick of the first week. The wave energy is strong (6474). The afternoon gets blown out again.

The 29th of August is a complete washout with fresh onshore winds. Don't bother. Then Sunday the 30th brings a massive pulse – 15 ft to 16 ft of SW long-period swell (18 seconds). The energy readings are huge (12077 to 14207). It’s only for absolute experts, and the light winds won't be quite clean, but the power is undeniable.

Monday the 31st is another classic for the experienced crew: glassy conditions with an 12 ft SW groundswell at 16 seconds. Perfect conditions early.

The first week of September keeps the swell running between 7 ft and 13 ft, but the winds get messy or onshore, so it’s mostly for the dedicated local experts who know the reef. The 3rd of September afternoon cleans up nicely with a 10 ft SW swell and a 15-second period under a cross-off breeze – a quality afternoon session. And the 5th of September Saturday closes out the run with a beautiful glassy afternoon on a clean 8 ft SW swell.

Overall, this is a spot for the advanced crew only. The standout sessions are the glassy Monday the 24th afternoon and the massive, clean Friday the 28th morning. The long period swells mean the reef will hold the shape perfectly, but beach breaks would have been closing out. Crowds are a possibility at The Well on the clean days, so get there early.

Rusty.

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