Topaz Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’ve got the goods on what’s happening at Topaz Street.

First off, let me be straight with you – the next couple of weeks are looking pretty ordinary for any serious paddle surfing. This spot is a beach/jetty setup, and it’s exposed to the swell, but the energy just isn’t there for most of it. The water is sitting at 69°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so that’s a nice thing to have.

Right now, we’re starting with a bit of a blank run. The first few days are flat and messy. Saturday morning, August 22, we’ve got a tiny 1 ft swell from the SW, but it’s a long-period 18 seconds groundswell. The problem is the wind is cross-on, even if light, and the combined swell energy is only 107 – weak. The conditions are poor, and the score is a zero. Honestly, don’t even bother. That goes for Saturday afternoon and Sunday too, with a bit more energy but still very poor conditions.

The gap of poor, marginal, or no surf carries on through the whole next week. Monday August 24 to Thursday August 27, the swell never gets above 2 ft, and the wind is mostly cross-on or onshore. The energy figures climb a bit into the 200s and 600s, but the quality is still terrible. The waves are too weak and disorganised, with that long period making it break jumbled at a beach break anyway.

Then we get a tiny glimmer on Friday morning, August 28. The swell is only 2 ft from the SSW, but the wind swings to a light cross-offshore from the SSE at 10 km/h. The conditions are clean. The combined energy is 266 – moderate. It’s a small wave, but it will be glassy and workable for a longboard or a soft top. The score just about scrapes into “expect good surf.” That’s your best bet for the first week, but it’s still only a tiny wave.

The pattern of small, clean-ish mornings and messy afternoons continues through the end of August. The morning of August 31 has a light cross-off wind again, with 2 ft from the SSW. The energy is 243 – moderate. It’s clean, but the wave is still very small. The crowd profile at Topaz Street is “often,” so expect a few others out there for these little windows.

The real standout, the one that might make you set an alarm, comes on the morning of Saturday, September 6. We’ve got a 3 ft SSW swell with a 15-second period, and the wind is a light cross-offshore from the SSE at 10 km/h. The combined energy is 521 – strong, and the score says “expect very good surf conditions.” This is the best looking day in the whole forecast. The wave height is still small, but the energy is there, the wind is clean, and the morning will be glassy. For a beach/jetty with that direction, it should be lining up nicely. The afternoon drops off, so get in early.

Before that, the morning of September 4 and 5 see the swell bump up to 3 ft and 4 ft, with energy in the 850 to 882 range – strong. But the wind is cross-on both mornings, so the conditions are only marginal. The bigger swell is there, but it won’t be clean. The afternoon of the 4th has a massive 1018 energy, but again cross-on wind. It’s a tease.

Overall, the forecast is a struggle. We’ve got a long gap of poor surf from the start, with only a few brief, clean windows. The best on offer is clearly the morning of September 6 – that’s your one. The Friday morning August 28 is a back-up for a tiny, clean wave.

Stay patient, and keep an eye on that morning of the 6th.

Rusty

Read more