Venus Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what Venus Bay has got cooking for us over the next couple of weeks.

Alright, the overall picture for Venus Bay is a bit of a mixed bag, but there are some real gems hiding in there if you’re patient. The first week is a bit of a tease, with some decent swell but the wind gods aren’t playing ball for a lot of it. The standout period is definitely the end of the first week and into the start of the next, where we get some clean, organised swell. The second week looks more unsettled, with a lot of onshore wind, so pick your windows carefully.

We start off the forecast period on Sunday, the 23rd of August. The swell is a solid 4 ft from the SW with a very long period of 17 seconds. That’s proper groundswell energy. The wind is a moderate cross-offshore from the NNE, so the surf will be clean. It’s a marginal call with the tide, so it’s not a full-blown classic, but it’s a decent start to the week. Into Monday the 24th, the swell drops right off to 3 ft, and the wind turns onshore on the afternoon, making it choppy and poor. Not worth paddling for.

Tuesday the 25th sees a big spike in wind, with a fresh cross-onshore wind up to 19 mph. The swell is 7 ft from the SSW with strong energy, but it’s a complete mess – lumpy and blown out. That’s a kite-surfing sort of day, not for a paddle board. Wednesday the 26th is a bit better, with a gentle cross-offshore breeze and a 4 ft SW swell, but the energy is low. It’s clean, but small.

Now, things start to get interesting on Thursday the 27th. The swell is 5 ft from the SW with a period of 19 seconds, giving very strong energy. The wind is light and cross-shore, so it’s a bit lumpy but the power is there. It’s still a marginal call, but the potential is cooking.

Here’s where we get our first true standout. Friday the 28th of August is the pick of the bunch. The morning starts with a 5 ft SW swell, period of 16 seconds, and a gentle cross-offshore breeze. The combined energy is solid. But the afternoon? That’s where it’s at. The wind drops to glassy – calm as – and the swell is a clean 5 ft from the SW. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. The waves will be clean, lined up, and with that long period, it’ll be a proper groundswell hitting the reef at Venus Bay. Definitely worth the wait. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Saturday the 29th is a step down, with the swell dropping to 3 ft and a cross-offshore breeze, but it’s just small. Sunday the 30th is a write-off with onshore winds.

Then we get another standout window. Monday the 31st of August is a beauty. The morning session sees a 5 ft SW swell with a 17-second period, strong energy, and a light cross-offshore breeze. The conditions are clean again. It’s a Monday, so the crowds might be a bit thinner, but Venus Bay can get busy on a good day, so keep an eye out. The afternoon looks a bit more iffy with onshore winds, so get in early.

The second week takes a turn for the worse. Tuesday the 1st of September and Wednesday the 2nd are dominated by fresh winds, onshore or cross-shore, creating lumpy, choppy conditions. The swell is only around 3 ft to 4 ft, but the wind wrecks it. Not worth the effort.

Thursday the 3rd of September is poor, with onshore winds and a 5 ft swell that’s just messy. The best bet for the second week actually looks like Friday the 4th of September. The morning has a 6 ft SW swell with a period of 17 seconds, strong energy, and a very light offshore breeze from the ESE. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. It’s a bit bigger, so it’s for the stronger paddlers, but the waves will have real power. The afternoon gets choppy again, so again, it’s an early morning mission.

The rest of the second week into the 7th of September is a write-off, with strong winds and a couple of larger, but messy, swells. The final record on the 7th shows a 7 ft SW swell with a very long 18-second period and massive energy, but the wind is a moderate cross-onshore, making it choppy. That’s a lot of power, but it’s just not clean for a reef break.

So, in summary, the best windows are Friday the 28th of August and Monday the 31st of August, with a solid backup on Friday the 4th of September if you’re willing to chase it. Everything else is a gamble or a flat-out miss.

Rusty.

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