Thousand Steps Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Alright, let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Thousand Steps over the next couple of weeks. It’s a pretty slow start, to be honest. For the first week and a half, we’ve got small, struggling swell and a persistent cross-onshore wind that’s just going to keep things messy. The water’s sitting at 72°F, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, so you won’t need a thick suit, but you will need a lot of patience.

The real story is a late-breaking pulse of energy that swings in around Monday the 25th of August. That’s the standout window, and it’s the only time you should really bother paddling out.

Right now, from Saturday the 15th through to Sunday the 24th, it’s pretty bleak. We’re looking at weak swell, mostly in the 1 ft to 3 ft range, coming from the SSW with a decent 14 to 16-second period. That long period is nice, but the combined wave energy is weak to moderate (most readings are under 500). The wind is a light to gentle cross-onshore for most of it, which is just enough to chop things up. There’s a brief window on Monday the 17th morning with offshore wind, but the swell is only 3 ft, so it’s marginal at best. Honestly, you’d be fighting for nothing.

Then things finally change. Tuesday the 25th morning sees a solid jump in size – 5 ft from the SSE with a 17-second period. The combined wave energy rockets up to 1867, which is strong. Still a bit of cross-shore wind in the morning, but the afternoon is where it gets good. By Tuesday afternoon, the wind drops to glassy, and we’ve got 5 ft of clean SSE groundswell with a 16-second period. The energy is even higher at 2075. This is excellent for experienced surfers. That bigger size and long period means it’ll be powerful, and at a reef break like Thousand Steps, it should line up nicely. Watch for the sets to be a bit spaced out with that long period.

Wednesday the 26th morning holds the quality – glassy conditions again, with 6 ft from the S at a shorter 14-second period. The energy is still very strong at 1456. This is also excellent for the experienced crew, though the afternoon gets a bit messier as a light cross-onshore comes in.

After that, Thursday the 27th and Friday the 28th see the swell dropping back down to 5 ft to 6 ft, with the wind turning back onshore and chopping things up. The energy is still moderate to strong (around 1000-1100), but the quality drops off fast. By Saturday the 29th, we’re back to small, messy conditions.

So, the one true standout: Tuesday the 25th of August afternoon. That glassy, 5 ft SSE groundswell at Thousand Steps is the pick of the bunch. Wednesday morning is nearly as good if you can get out early. The rest of the run is a write-off.

This is a reef break, and crowds are possible here, so keep an eye out.

Rusty.

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