The Window Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. The Window’s been doing its thing, and we’ve got a proper mixed bag coming up over the next couple of weeks. There’s plenty of swell to talk about, but the wind’s going to be the real story here. We’ll have some magic windows, but also some proper blown-out days where you’ll want to stay on the beach with a coffee.

Right now, starting Thursday, August 27th, the swell is pumping. We’re looking at a solid 13.1ft SW groundswell with a long 15-second period, which cranks the energy up to 6486 (moderate to strong). The water’s sitting at 65.3°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. But here’s the kicker: the wind is a fresh SSE cross-off at 19 mph. It’s clean, but that’s a strong breeze, and with that much power, The Window is an advanced-only zone. This is no place for beginners; anything over 5ft is expert territory, and 13.1ft is a proper handful. The Window is a reef, and with that long period, it’ll be lining up, but you need to know what you’re doing.

Friday, August 28th, the swell drops a notch to 7.5ft in the morning, still SW, with a 12-second period. The wind swings SE at 12 mph, cross-off, so it’s still clean. The energy drops to 1527, which is moderate. Afternoon drops further to 5.9ft, but the wind picks up again. It’s still surfable, but nothing to write home about.

Now, Saturday, August 29th, is where it gets interesting. Morning brings a 6.6ft SW swell, but the period jumps to 16 seconds – that’s a lovely long groundswell. The wind is offshore from the ESE at 12 mph, moderate breeze, and the conditions are clean. The energy is 2992. This is the best-looking window of the early part of the forecast. The swell is big enough to get into, but not out of control. The offshore wind will groom it beautifully. The afternoon builds to 9.8ft with a 17-second period (4856 energy), but the wind goes cross-off from the NE, still light. It’ll still be good, but that morning session is the standout.

Sunday, August 30th, has a similar 9.8ft swell, WSW, with 17-second periods in the morning. The wind is still a light NE cross-off, 9 mph. It’s clean. The energy is huge at 6043. By the afternoon, the wind goes light cross-on from the NNW, which will start to put a bit of a bump on the face. The morning is still the pick.

Then we hit a wall. From Monday, August 31st, right through to the end of the first week of September, the wind goes onshore and strong. Westerly winds at 16 to 22 mph, right on the nose, turning this powerful swell into a washing machine. We’ve got solid 9.8ft to 14.8ft SW swell during this period, but the energy is massive (think 7000+), and it’s all blown out. For a reef like The Window, this is a no-go for a paddle board. If you’re into kiting, this setup might be your thing, but for surfing, it’s a skip.

The wind finally backs off a bit on Friday, September 4th, but it’s still cross and cross-on, with a messy 9.8ft swell. The quality is poor.

The light at the end of the tunnel comes on Monday, September 7th. The morning is looking proper. We’ve got a 11.5ft SW swell with a 15-second period, and the wind is offshore from the ENE at a light 6 mph. The energy is 5228, and the conditions are clean. This is the second standout of the forecast. The offshore wind on a big, long-period SW groundswell at The Window is what dreams are made of. This is for experienced surfers only, but it’ll be firing. The afternoon gets a bit lumpy with a cross-shore wind, so get in early.

After that, Tuesday and Wednesday look onshore and messy again, with the wind picking up from the west. The swell stays around 8.2ft to 9.8ft, but it’s not worth the paddle. By Thursday, September 10th, we’ve got a strong breeze, near gale-force winds, and rain. That’s a hard pass.

The last glimpse of hope is Friday, September 11th, but it’s a fresh cross-onshore wind with a 8.2ft WSW swell. It’s lumpy and not for the faint of heart.

So, to sum it up: the best windows are Saturday morning, August 29th (offshore, 6.6ft, 16s) and Monday morning, September 7th (offshore, 11.5ft, 15s). The rest is a battle with the wind. The Window is a reef, so respect the crowds – they can be there sometimes, especially on the good days. The long period swells will make it perfect for this point

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