Thousand Steps Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s be straight with you – right now, Thousand Steps is showing a pretty bleak run for the next week or so. We’ve got a solid, long-period groundswell from the SSW, but it’s dragging in a cross-onshore wind that’s trashing the surface. The water’s sitting at 67°, which is about average for the time of year, nothing wild there.

The first few days, from Thursday the 9th through to Tuesday the 14th, are just poor. Swell’s around 3ft with a 15-16 second period, but that cross-on wind from the south and southwest is putting wind ripples and chop all over it. The combined energy is moderate (470 on Thursday), but it’s not doing you any favours. There’s a bit of a window from Sunday the 12th morning to Monday the 13th afternoon where the wind goes light onshore, but the surf is still marginal – only scoring a 1/10. The swell drops to 2ft by Tuesday, and the period shortens, so you’re really scraping the barrel.

Then we hit a flat spell. Wednesday the 15th and Thursday the 16th are tiny – 1ft swell with a long period, but the energy is weak (124-218). That’s not surfable for a paddle. The real kicker comes on Saturday the 18th. The swell jumps to 3ft early, then 4ft by the afternoon, with a 17-18 second period from the SSE. The combined energy is strong (1153). But here’s the catch – it’s still cross-onshore, and the quality is marginal. Sunday the 19th pushes 5ft from the S, with energy up to 1309, but that same cross-on wind means it’s choppy.

So, the best option in this whole 16-day window? It’s got to be Saturday the 18th afternoon. The swell is 4ft from the SSE at 17 seconds – that’s proper groundswell with good energy. The wind is a light cross-onshore from the west at 6 mph, so it’s not glassy, but it’s the cleanest we’ll see. This spot is a reef, so it handles that long period well. Crowds are sometimes there, so expect a few locals. It’s not a beginner wave at 4ft, but for intermediates it’s solid. The rest of the second week, from Monday the 20th, drops back to 2-3ft with poor conditions again. Thursday the 24th shows a 3ft pulse from the SSE, but the wind is cross-onshore and the surf is poor or marginal.

Honestly, if you’re not surfing Saturday the 18th, you’re waiting for a blank run. The setup with the cross-onshore winds and beach-and-reef mix might even be more interesting for kite surfing than paddling on most days. Stay patient.

Rusty.

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