The Wharf Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – this 16-day window for The Wharf is a real bummer. There’s nothing on the cards that’s worth paddling out for. The whole run is a blank, and it’s one of those periods where the ocean just isn’t cooperating. The first sniff of any surf comes on Tuesday 18 August afternoon, but even then it’s a weak, marginal affair.

Let’s walk through it. Tuesday 18 August afternoon, we’ve got a 3 ft swell from the SW with a long 17-second period – that’s groundswell, but the combined energy is only moderate at 591. The wind is a light cross-on from the ENE, 6 mph, which is just enough to put a few ripples on the face. The water temp is sitting at 81°, which is about average for the time of year. The wave comment says it’s marginal, and the score is low, so it’s not a goer.

Wednesday 19 August starts with a similar 3 ft SW swell, 16-second period, and a light onshore ESE breeze at 6 mph. The afternoon is worse – same size, drop to 15 seconds, and a cross-on wind. The scores are zero, and the conditions are described as poor. From Thursday 20 August, things get ugly. We see rain showers, a fresh SE wind hitting 19 mph, and the swell bumps up to 5 ft on Thursday morning, then 4 ft in the afternoon. The combined energy jumps to 855 (moderate) and 854, but the wind is onshore and lumpy, making it a write-off.

Friday 21 August through Sunday 30 August is a relentless stretch of poor surf. The wind is a fresh onshore breeze from the ESE or SE, gusting 16 to 22 mph, with swell sizes ranging from 2 ft to 6 ft. The combined energy values are all over the place – from 45 up to 1740 on Saturday 22 August afternoon, which is moderate to strong energy, but the wind and conditions are simply terrible. The swell direction shifts from SW to S to SSE to SE, and the periods get short, dipping to 7 seconds, so it’s messy and gutless. The wave comments are all “poor surf conditions” with scores of zero. Honestly, this stretch looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, given the strong onshore winds and lumpy sea state.

The final week, from 31 August to 2 September, doesn’t offer any relief. The swell is tiny – 1.0 ft to 3 ft – with combined energy down to 44 or 58, which is weak. The wind is still onshore, 12 to 19 mph, and the conditions are poor. There’s a final spike on 2 September with 4 ft to 5 ft SW swell and 17-18 second periods, giving combined energy of 1253 and 1396 (strong), but again, the wind is onshore and the wave comment is poor. It’s a classic case of the swell showing up but the wind ruining it.

So, to sum it up: there’s nothing worth chasing. The Wharf is a reef break that would normally love a long-period SW groundswell, but the wind is consistently onshore, and the scores are all zeros. This is one of those frustrating runs where the forecast just doesn’t line up. Hang in there – it tends not to stay this poor for long, and forecasts can change. Keep your eye on the charts.

Rusty.

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