38 Line Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you: the next week and a half is a proper flat spell. We’re looking at a long stretch of tiny, jumbled-up leftovers and no real push. You’d be wasting your time staring at the horizon. Then, finally, right at the back end of the window, things wake up a bit.

Right now, through to the 25th, we’ve got knee-high slop at best, with most days barely registering a wave. There’s a bit of energy on Monday the 17th – maybe 3ft from the southeast – but it’s short-period windswell, bumpy, and basically unsurfable. The wind is light but cross, and it just doesn't line up. The energy is weak, coming in at 60, and it doesn’t get any better. We drift through a real quiet zone – lots of glassy mornings, but with bugger-all for swell. It’s a long, frustrating stretch of nothing. The water’s sitting at about 77°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year.

Then, we finally get a pulse around Thursday the 27th. It’s still small – 3ft – but the direction swings to the northeast, and it’s clean. The winds go light offshore and glassy, and there’s finally a bit of shape to it. The energy jumps to 62, which is still weak, but it’s the first genuine sign of life in over a week. This is your first real chance to get wet, but keep expectations in check – it’s small and clean, not a classic.

The action builds into the weekend and into the new month. Sunday the 30th afternoon is where things get interesting. We see a jump to 5ft, but it’s coming from the northeast with a short, 7-second period, and energy hits 270 – that’s moderate, and there’s actual power behind it. The wind is offshore though, and it’s clean. This is getting closer. Then Monday the 31st keeps that push going with 4-5ft, and Tuesday the 1st of September looks like the pick of the bunch. We’re seeing 4-5ft in the morning, building to 6ft by the afternoon, with a northeast swell and a light offshore breeze. The energy is solid at 306 – moderate but building – and the description is a good one. It’s still a short-period swell, so don't expect a clean, grinding point wave, but this is the most surfable it’s been all fortnight.

The standout is Tuesday afternoon at 38 Line. The swell size is 6ft from the northeast, with light southwesterly offshore winds – that’s clean, glassy conditions. The energy is the strongest of the window, and it’s consistent enough. This is the day to make the call. It’s still a beginner’s call at 6ft – it’s on the edge of being too much for a learner, but for the rest of us, it’s worth it.

So, the plan: sit tight through this dead stretch, and mark the 1st of September in your calendar. It’s a week away, so treat it as promising but not guaranteed. Get out there on the 27th if you’re desperate for a paddle, but the real deal is the 1st.

Rusty.

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