Tolcarne Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about the next couple of weeks at Tolcarne.

Overall, it’s a tough stretch. We’ve got a long, quiet run of tiny, messy conditions for the first week and a half, with only a few days where things might just about come together. The standout window is around the 2nd of September, but with a big caveat.

Starting from Monday the 24th of August right through the rest of the month, it’s frustrating. Swell is tiny, mostly around 0.7 ft to 3 ft, and the wind is a constant problem – cross-off, cross, or cross-on from the east and south-east. Energy is extremely weak, reading between 17 and 168 on the dial. The water temp is about average for the time of year.

Thursday the 27th afternoon sees a little jump to 6 ft from the SW, but the wind is cross and the combined energy is moderate (702). Still, it’s messy and gets a marginal call at best.

Friday the 28th into the weekend stays poor. Swell bumps up but the period is short (6-8 seconds) and wind stays messy. The 30th and 31st of August sees size climb to 7 ft-7 ft, but with strong cross-off or cross-on winds from the west and northwest, and lumpy conditions. Energy is moderate to strong (594 to 678), not great for a clean session.

Now, here’s the highlight – Wednesday the 2nd of September. By the afternoon, we’re looking at 10 ft from the WSW with an 8-second period. The combined energy is a solid 952. The wind is a clean cross-off from the SSW. The report says the wind and tide are favorable, but that’s a lot of water. At 10 ft, this is expert territory only, and only if you can handle a beach break handling a big, short-period swell. It might be more of a spectacle for kite surfers than paddle surfers.

Thursday the 3rd keeps 10 ft from the west and WNW, but the wind turns cross and cross-on, making it lumpy and poor. Energy is very strong (1256 and 1245), but the quality isn’t there for a good paddle surf.

The rest of the first week of September is a mix of lumpy, onshore, and messy conditions as the swell drops back to 5 ft to 8 ft. Energy stays strong, but the wind stays fresh and cross-onshore.

The 6th and 7th of September are interesting. The swell on the 6th is 5 ft from the west with a very long period of 19 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell, with a huge energy reading of 1895. But it’s onshore from the NNW, and it’s a beach break – that long period will break straight, making it tough. The 7th drops to 5 ft-5 ft from the WNW with a 14-second period, and lighter winds. The energy is strong and the conditions are a bit cleaner – this could be the most user-friendly window, but it’s still only a marginal call.

So, the best bet for clean, rideable waves is the 2nd of September afternoon if you’re an expert, or the 7th of September morning and afternoon if you want something a bit more manageable.

Stay stoked, but be patient.
Rusty.

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