Thompsons Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, I’m looking at Thompsons Bay here. The water’s sitting at 71°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so no wetsuit drama.

To be straight with you, the next week and a half is a bit of a grind. The swell's coming in from the southeast, but the energy is all over the place. The first few days are a write-off, with rain showers and onshore winds making a mess of things. We’re seeing a lot of "poor surf conditions" for the first week, with the swell bumping up to 8ft but with a short period and wrong wind. You’ve got to wait it out.

The first real glimmer of hope comes on Monday, the 17th of August, in the afternoon. The wind goes glassy, and we get a 5ft swell from the east with a clean 10-second period. The combined energy is moderate (498), but the glassy conditions will make it smooth. It’s not a classic, but it’s the best you’ll get for a while.

But hold on, the real standout is Monday, the 24th of August. That afternoon, we’ve got glassy conditions again, with a solid 6ft swell from the south. The period is a long 16 seconds, which is proper groundswell. The combined energy is strong (1685). This is a long-period swell, so it’s best at the point or reef, not the beach. The wind is glassy, so it’ll be super clean. This is the one to circle on the calendar. It’s a bit far out, so keep an eye on it, but it’s promising.

The rest of that second week is mostly cross-shore winds and short-period slop, so you’ll be sitting that out. The swell from the south on the 20th has some size (7ft) and a nice long period (13-14 seconds), but the winds are cross-shore and it’s rated as "marginal" at best. It’s worth a look if you’re desperate, but it’s not the one.

So, bottom line: the 17th of August afternoon is the pick of the first week, and the 24th of August afternoon is the standout for the whole run. Everything else is a bit of a battle.

Rusty.

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