The Wharf Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab a coffee and settle in, because the next couple of weeks are going to be a proper mixed bag. The only spot on the radar for this stretch is The Wharf, a reef break that handles a south swell best. The water’s sitting at a warm 81°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The thing is, we’ve got a big gap to start with. The first sniff of anything worthwhile doesn’t show up until Tuesday the 18th of August. From the 15th through to Monday the 17th, it’s pretty much a write-off. The wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore and the surf is small and messy. Don’t even bother checking the cam.

Now, let’s talk about the one real standout in this whole 16-day window. It lands on Tuesday the 18th of August in the afternoon. The Wharf is going to be absolutely pristine. We’re looking at a clean 3ft swell from the southwest, with a long period of 17 seconds. That’s proper groundswell, packing a punch with moderate wave energy in the water (591). But the real story is the wind: it’s glassy. Dead flat, not a breath of air. That reef is going to be as clean as it gets. This is easily the best session on offer. The early morning won’t be as clean, but if you can, get out there for the afternoon glass-off. The winds from the SSE will be light and cross-onshore first thing, which is just okay, but that afternoon window is gold.

The rest of the week is a bit of a struggle. Wednesday the 19th has a similar 3ft swell but the wind is junk – onshore or cross-onshore – ruining the party. Thursday the 20th brings a bit more swell size, up to 4ft, but also strong winds and rain showers, making for choppy, lumpy conditions. By Friday the 21st, things get more interesting in size but nasty in the weather. We’ve got a solid 6ft to 7ft swell from the SSE, but the ESE and SE winds are blowing 18 to 22 mph and it’s raining. That much swell with that much wind just creates a washing machine. It’s really only for the well-equipped and experienced, and even then it won’t be pretty.

The weekend of the 22nd and 23rd is similar – a solid 5ft to 7ft swell, but the wind stays onshore and strong. It’s big and messy. The wave energy is strong (over 1400 at its peak), but the quality just isn’t there. Honestly, this stretch looks more interesting for a kite surfer than for a paddle surfer.

Into the following week, the swell drops and the wind stays a problem. Monday the 24th has 4ft but with fresh cross-onshore winds, it’s lumpy. After that, it’s a bit of a mix of small, short-period wind swell and onshore winds, with some rain and even a risk of thunderstorms on the 27th. There’s a glimmer on Friday the 28th afternoon with a 3ft south-west swell and only a gentle breeze, but it’s described as marginal.

So, to cut a long story short: Tuesday afternoon, August 18th is your day. Get on it. Everything else in this forecast is either small, windy, rainy, or a combination of all three.

Rusty.

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