The Wreck Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here, looking at the 16-day window for The Wreck.

It’s gonna be a bit of a slow start before the real juice shows up. We've got a few days of OK waves to get the arms loose, but the big stuff is lurking. The standout days are unmistakable if you’ve got the skill and patience to wait for 'em.

We start on Saturday the 22nd of August. The Wreck is showing some chest-high swell at about 6ft, coming from the SSW with a long 12-second period. The water is a full 4 degrees colder than it should be for this time of year, so pack the 5/4 or you’ll be shivering. Winds are a fresh offshore from the West, which will keep the surface clean, but the combined energy is a solid 1472. It’s surfable but nothing to write home about. The afternoon cleans up with lighter WSW offshores and a touch smaller at 5ft.

Sunday the 23rd sees the swell bump up a bit. Morning has solid 8ft from the SW, 11 seconds, with a light cross-offshore breeze from the South making for very clean conditions. The combined energy jumps to 1369. The afternoon gets a little bit bigger, 7ft, but the wind switches to a light cross-onshore from the SE, putting a few ripples on the face.

Monday the 24th is a steady, smaller day. Morning and afternoon both offer 6ft and 5ft, respectively, from the SW. Light cross-offshore winds keep things clean. Good for a longboard or a fish.

Now, here we go. Tuesday the 25th is the first real standout. The morning session is a beauty: clean 8ft SW groundswell (14-second period), glassy conditions with a light South breeze. The combined energy is a very punchy 2846. That’s expert territory at that size, with that much power. The afternoon drops a touch to 8ft, but the wind goes light cross-onshore, so morning is the call.

Wednesday the 26th is a write-off. The wind cranks up from the ESE at 22 mph in the afternoon, making a lumpy, choppy mess out of a 7ft swell. Pick a different hobby for the day.

Thursday the 27th is a redemption story. The morning is still a bit onshore from the SE with 6ft, but the afternoon goes glassy with a light NE breeze, turning that 6ft SSW swell into something very clean and fun.

Friday the 28th is a small, onshore mess. 5ft from the South with a cross-onshore wind. Not worth the paddle.

Saturday the 29th is weird. The morning is tiny and blown out by a strong NNW breeze. The afternoon, however, brings a sudden jump to a massive 12ft SW swell, but with a short 10-second period and a cross-shore wind. That’s a lot of water moving around but not much shape.

The Big Dog No.1: Sunday the 30th of August. This is the one for the experienced crew. Morning sees a solid 12ft SW swell with a 12-second period. Combined energy is 3230. The wind is a gentle cross-offshore from the SW, so the faces will be clean. The afternoon stays just as good: 10ft, clean, with a WSW offshore breeze. This is big, powerful, and clean. If you're not comfortable in heavy water, stay on the beach and watch the show.

Monday the 31st is a nice drop-off back to manageable 6ft with clean offshore winds. A good recovery session.

Things go a bit messy into September. Tuesday the 1st and Wednesday the 2nd are onshore and choppy with solid 7ft to 8ft swells.

The Big Dog No.2: Thursday the 3rd of September. Mark it. We’ve got an 12ft SW groundswell with a very long 16-second period. Absolute bomb. The combined energy is a staggering 5717. It’s glassy in the morning and clean in the afternoon with a cross-offshore wind. That’s a world-class combo of size, period, and wind. Only for the strong and the skilled.

Friday the 4th of September is another day of solid excellence. Morning is 12ft and glassy again (5991 energy), afternoon drops to 8ft with a clean offshore. Saturday the 5th and Sunday the 6th keep the run going with 10ft swells and clean to glassy conditions.

The bottom line: The first week is a slow warm-up. The absolute jewels are Tuesday the 25th morning, and then the whole window from the 30th of August right through to the 6th of September is firing, with Thursday the 3rd being the pick of the pick for the hard chargers.

Stay frosty,
Rusty

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