Thompsons Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

Straight up, I gotta be honest with you – this is a tough stretch. We’re looking at Thompsons Bay, and for the first few days, it’s pretty grim. The wind is mostly cross or cross-onshore, the swell is either too small or too messy, and the wave comment is "poor surf conditions" across the board. The combined energy is weak to moderate at best, with values like 250 and 340, which tells you there’s just no juice in the water. The water temp is sitting at 71°, which is about normal for this time of year, so that’s one thing you don’t have to worry about.

We’ve got a long gap here with nothing worth paddling out for until Saturday the 22nd of August. That morning, finally, we get a bit of a window. The wind swings light from the north, going cross-offshore, and the swell is a tiny 2 ft from the SSW with a long 15-second period. The combined energy is still low at 258, and the wave comment says "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions" – scoring a 1 out of 10 internally. It’s not a standout, but it’s the first clean surface we’ve seen. The break is fairly consistent, and it’s sheltered, so that small, long-period groundswell might smooth out a bit. At this size, it’s fine for intermediates, but don’t expect much push.

After that Saturday morning window, it goes back to rubbish. The wind picks up again, and we get some lumpy, choppy conditions. The combined energy jumps up to 802 on Saturday afternoon, but it’s all cross-onshore and messy, so not worth it.

Sunday the 23rd of August morning has a 8 ft swell from the SSW, but the period is a short 8 seconds, and the wind is cross-onshore. The energy is strong at 2359, but the wave comment is "marginal surf forecast" – that’s a 1 out of 10. That’s too big for beginners and with that short period and onshore wind, it’s just a washing machine. For experts only, and even then, it’s ugly.

Monday the 24th of August morning has a 7 ft swell from the south with a 14-second period – that’s a proper groundswell. The combined energy is 1543, which is strong. But the wind is light cross-onshore, creating small wind ripples. The wave comment is still "marginal" and scores a 1. That afternoon, the swell drops to 5 ft, the period goes to 16 seconds – very long period – and the wind goes cross-shore. The energy is 1277. The wave comment improves to a 2, but it’s still described as marginal. With that long period, this is better for a point or reef break, but Thompsons Bay is sheltered. The long period might make the sets more powerful but also more spaced out, and the cross-shore wind will keep a bit of a chop on it. It’s the best we’ve got in the forecast, but that’s not saying much.

The rest of the week into early September is a mix of strong winds, short-period windswell, and cross-onshore conditions. The combined energy values are moderate to strong, but the quality just isn’t there. The last few days, we see some ENE swell with short periods, but the wind is always cross or cross-on, and the wave comment stays at "poor" or "marginal".

Look, the only real window here is Saturday the 22nd of August morning, and maybe Monday the 24th of August afternoon if you’re desperate. Neither is a standout. The setup is more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer on most days with that strong wind and lumpy chop. For a paddle surfer, you’re waiting for a better forecast.

Rusty.

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