Turners Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ve gotta be straight with you – the next 16 days at Turners Beach are a real mixed bag, and honestly, there’s a whole lot of waiting involved. We’ve got a run of small, weak swells and ordinary conditions before things finally kick into gear at the very end of the period. Let’s walk through it.

We start off this Saturday, August 22, with nothing worth paddling for. Tiny 3ft swell from the ENE with a short 6-second period and cross-onshore wind. The combined wave energy is a measly 75, so you’d be battling weak, bumpy junk. That carries into Sunday, August 23 – the swell drops further to 2ft, and while we do get a clean offshore breeze Saturday afternoon and Sunday, the swell is just too small to get excited about. This first weekend is a write-off.

Monday the 24th offers a slight glimmer. The swell jumps to 2ft, but here’s the kicker – it’s an SSE groundswell with a long 12-second period. That longer period means better shaped waves and more energy between sets, and the combined energy climbs to 183 (moderate). Monday morning has clean conditions with a light cross-offshore wind, but it’s still barely surfable. You might get a few fun ones if you’re patient and on a longboard.

Tuesday through to early the next week is more of the same: small, weak, and often choppy. The swell sits mostly around 3ft to 4ft from the ENE with short 7-8 second periods. The combined energy fluctuates between 133 and 280 – moderate at best. A few clean windows pop up, like Wednesday morning, August 26, with glassy conditions and a 4ft swell. Still, the wave quality is just “ordinary” – not bad, but nothing to call in sick for.

The real shift happens when we hit Sunday, August 30. The swell starts building, reaching 5ft to 8ft from the SSE and SE, with periods still short (6-7 seconds). The combined energy jumps to a strong 632 by Sunday afternoon. That’s a lot of water moving, but the short period means it’ll be a bit dumpy and disorganised. A clean offshore wind Sunday morning makes it more appealing, but this is getting into the “not for beginners” category. It’s also worth noting the water temperature anomaly is unremarkable – it’s pretty average for this time of year.

Monday, September 1, and Tuesday, September 2, actually offer our first real standout. Tuesday morning, September 2, brings a 4ft swell from the E with a longer 11-second period. The wind is a fresh offshore from the S at 35 km/h (22 mph), cleaning it right up. Combined energy is a solid 478 (moderate-strong). The conditions are described as “fresh offshore and clean” – that’s the kind of wind a surfer loves. The only catch is that 4ft swell is still manageable for most, and the longer period will give proper waves. This is the pick of the early part of the outlook.

Then we get to the true standout, and it’s a couple of weeks out, so keep an eye on it – Saturday, September 5. The morning shows a big 12ft swell from the SSE with a 9-second period. That’s a massive amount of energy, with a combined energy reading of 2324 – very strong wave energy. By the afternoon, it drops slightly to 10ft but the wind turns offshore from the SSE, and the conditions are described as “expect very good surf conditions.” This is expert territory – anything over 8ft is for experienced surfers only. The swell direction of SSE is spot-on for the optimum direction, and the offshore wind will make it clean. If you’re a strong surfer and can handle big, powerful waves, this is the one to aim for. Keep in mind though, it’s 14 days out – promising, but not locked in.

Through the rest of the period, it settles back down to smaller, less exciting conditions.

So, look: the first few days are a bust for surfing. There’s a glimmer of a clean, small swell on Monday the 24th, and a solid, clean window on Tuesday, September 2. But the only true standout is that big, powerful, clean swell on Saturday, September 5 – mark that one on the calendar, you’ll want to be there if it holds.

As for crowds, Turners Beach can get busy sometimes, but with the marginal quality for most of the period, it shouldn’t be too packed.

Stay patient, keep checking the forecasts, and I’ll catch you in the water.

Rusty.

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