The Wharf Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at what’s shaping up for The Wharf over the next couple of weeks. Gotta be straight with you – it’s a real mixed bag, and for the most part, we’re looking at a lot of waiting around for the right moment.

We start off with a bit of a frustrating run. The swell is there, but the wind is just cruel. For the first few days, from Sunday the 13th right through to Wednesday morning the 16th, we’ve got a decent SW groundswell running – hitting that 3 ft to 5 ft mark with a long period of 16 to 20 seconds – but every session is being stuffed by onshore or cross-onshore winds. It’s a write-off. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there, but you wouldn’t want to be out in that chop anyway. The combined energy is solid, hitting 1310 on Monday the 14th, but it’s just messy.

Things finally start to look a little more interesting by Thursday the 17th. The morning is still a bit average with that cross-shore wind, but keep your eye on Thursday afternoon. The swell drops a touch to 4 ft from the S with a 14-second period, but the magic happens when the wind goes glassy, dead calm. That’s a huge positive. The forecast says “very good surf conditions” and I’d be getting excited about that. The combined energy is still moderate at 793, but clean lines on a reef setup like this is what it’s all about.

Then we hit another dry spell. Friday the 18th and Saturday the 19th see the swell drop to a tiny 3 ft and the winds are back to being messy. The period drops off too, down to 11 seconds, and the energy is weak at 215. This is a gap of a few days where you’d be better off doing something else.

Now, there’s a little glimmer late in the period. On Monday the 21st, we get another pulse of SW swell hitting 4 ft with a 15-second period. The Monday morning is a bit scrappy, but Monday afternoon looks like the other standout. Glassy conditions again – dead calm – and “very good surf conditions” is the call. The combined energy is moderate at 660. That’s the one to circle.

After that, it’s back to the grind. From Tuesday the 22nd all the way through to Monday the 28th, it’s mostly onshore breezes in the 15 to 22 mph range, with the swell holding around 3 ft to 4 ft from the S and SSW. The energy picks up again, hitting 1486 on the 28th, but with that wind, it’s just another poor surf scenario. It’s going to be lumpy and chopped up.

So, the honest truth: the best on offer here is Thursday 17th afternoon and Monday 21st afternoon at The Wharf. Those glassy windows with that solid SW groundswell are the only times I’d be paddling out.

Rusty.

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