Totoralillo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty, and I’ve been looking at the charts for Totoralillo. This point break is a very consistent setup, and it’s a classic spot for intermediate surfers. The water temperature is sitting at 58°, which is about normal for this time of year – nothing unusual.

Alright, let’s get into the run of surf. The first few days are pretty grim. Wednesday afternoon, the 19th of August, we’ve got a 5 ft swell from the SW with a period of 15 seconds, but it’s onshore wind and the wave energy is moderate (1033). The conditions are marginal, so avoid it. The next few days, from Thursday the 20th through to Tuesday the 26th, are a write-off. The surf is tiny, mostly under 3 ft, with onshore or cross-onshore winds. There’s a brief glimmer on Saturday afternoon, the 22nd, when the wind goes glassy and the swell is 3 ft from the SW (9 seconds), but it’s weak energy (223) – a short, clean window but not worth getting excited about.

Things flatline again until the 27th of August, Thursday morning. We start to see a pulse of long-period groundswell. On Thursday morning, the swell is 3 ft from the WSW at 19 seconds, with wave energy rising to 1198 – that’s moderate energy, but still onshore wind. The swell builds through the end of the week. By Friday the 28th, we’re looking at a solid 10 ft swell from the WSW, with a period of 16 seconds and wave energy hitting 4430 in the morning. That’s strong energy, but it’s all onshore wind – messy and only for experts. The swell stays at 10 ft in the afternoon, still onshore, so it’s heavy but not clean.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The standout window is the morning of Saturday, the 29th of August. The swell drops to a still chunky 8 ft from the WSW (13 seconds), with a period short enough to keep it punchy, but the wind goes glassy. The water will be clean, and the wave energy is strong (1827). This is the best session on offer – a solid, clean, powerful swell at a point break that handles it well. It’s a bit big for beginners, but for intermediate to advanced surfers, it’s a gem. The optimum swell direction from the WSW is spot-on for Totoralillo.

After that, the surf fades fast. Sunday the 30th sees the swell drop to 4 ft, but the wind goes cross-onshore, and by Monday the 31st, it’s down to 3 ft with choppy conditions. The rest of the forecast into early September is a mix of tiny, weak swells and onshore or cross-onshore winds – not worth paddling out for.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a bust. The second week builds into a solid, powerful groundswell, but most of it is ruined by wind. The only real standout is the morning of Saturday the 29th – that’s your window for clean, big waves at Totoralillo. Anything else is a gamble or a day off.

Rusty.

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