The Wharf Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's be straight with you – the next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for a proper paddle. I've stared at the charts for The Wharf until my eyes went blurry, and there’s just not a lot of love out there for a while.

The immediate picture is pretty poor. For the first week and a bit, we've got a whole lot of onshore and cross-onshore wind messing up what little swell there is. The waves are small and the conditions are choppy, with poor surf quality and a score of zero on the board for almost every session. The first decent-looking window doesn't pop up until Monday the 21st, and even then, it's not exactly epic. So, we're looking at a solid 10 to 12 days of waiting it out before things even start to look like they're worth a look.

Now, that spot on the 21st. Monday morning, there’s a real change in the air. The wind drops right out, going glassy, and we’ve got some consistent 3ft SW swell rolling in with a 16-second period. This is that long-period groundswell we all dream about. The energy in the water is moderate, coming in at 408, which is a good sign. This is comfortably the best morning on offer. This will be the standout, so if you can only get in the water once, that’s your window. The conditions look similar for the afternoon with light winds and clean surf.

That same long-period swell is still around Tuesday morning, but the wind swings around to a light cross-shore, which will put a little bit of a crumble on the face but could still be workable. The Wharf is a consistent reef break, so it will hold this swell well, but it's not as clean as Monday.

After that, the wind clocks back onshore and things get messy again. There’s a pulse of swell pushing through the 13th and 14th, but the wind is just too strong and on it, making a mess of it. For a break like The Wharf, which is exposed and a reef setup, it might be more interesting for the kite crew than for us paddle surfers during those bigger, wind-whipped days. The water temp is sitting at 81°, which is pretty much average for this time of year.

So, to sum it up: the first two weeks are a write-off. Hang tight, do your equipment repairs, and keep an eye on the forecast for that Monday the 21st. That’s the one that looks promising, though as always with a longer-range call, treat it as a promising lead more than a guarantee. The rest of the period from the 22nd onwards sees the winds turn onshore again with smaller, messier swell, so don’t get your hopes up for a long run of good surf.

Rusty out.

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