Venus Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty, and we’re looking at Venus Bay for the next couple of weeks. This is a reef setup, exposed to the south-west, and it’s consistent. It’s a beginner-plus spot, so when it cleans up, it’s user-friendly.

We’ve got a bit of a slow start, honestly. The first recommendation pops on Thursday the 13th of August, but it’s marginal – a 6 ft groundswell from the SW with a very long 16-second period and strong energy (1660). The wind is onshore from the WSW at 15 km/h, so it’s a bit ragged. Not the day to rush out.

But then Friday the 14th kicks things off proper. The morning glass is on with an offshore SSE breeze at only 5 km/h, and the swell is a solid 6 ft from the SW, holding that long 16-second period. The energy jumps up (2002), and the conditions are glassy. That’s your real standout for the early part of the run. The water is sitting at 59°, which is just a tick under normal for this time of year (-0.7° anomaly), so not noteworthy.

Saturday the 15th keeps the run going. Morning sees a clean 5 ft SW swell with a cross-offshore ESE breeze at 15 km/h (1809 energy). By the afternoon, the wind swings to a solid offshore from the E at 15 km/h, dropping the swell to 5 ft (1460 energy), but it’s clean and lined up. Very surfable.

Sunday the 16th through Monday the 17th still have waves, 4 to 4 ft from the SW, with offshores or cross-off breezes in the mornings, but the energy is dropping (878 down to 682). The period stays long, 14-16 seconds, so the shape is good, but it’s getting smaller. Still a fun little runner for a froth.

We hit a real gap from Monday afternoon the 17th all the way through Wednesday the 19th. The swell goes tiny – down to 3 ft – and the winds turn messy, switching onshore or cross-onshore. The energy drops into the 400s. Kook territory, honestly. Not worth a paddle.

Then Thursday the 20th of August surprises us. Morning is glassy again, with a 4 ft SW groundswell, 16-second period, and energy back up to 1102. The wind is a dead calm NNE at 5 km/h. That’s pure glass, and for a spot like Venus Bay, that’s a treat. This is another standout window – clean, long-period lines for the experienced crew.

The following few days are a mixed bag. Friday the 21st sees a 4 ft SW swell but the wind gets messy, then Saturday the 22nd blows up to 10 ft from the SW with a strong cross-shore SSE wind at 25 km/h (3404 energy). That’s really big for this spot and likely too much for beginners. For the experts, it’s there, but the cross-chop will be a handful. Sunday the 23rd morning rebounds nicely with a clean 6 ft SW swell (1875 energy) and a light NNE offshore at 10 km/h. That’s a good one.

From Monday the 24th onwards, the pattern gets blustery. Swell hangs around 5 ft to 7 ft, but winds turn more westerly and onshore, so it’s choppy and lumpy. There’s a big pulse on Tuesday the 25th (7 ft, 17-second period, 2705 energy) but with a cross-shore NW wind. Wednesday the 26th is a write-off with fresh onshores. By Friday the 28th of August, we see another decent long-period groundswell (6 ft, 19-second period, 2648 energy) and a light cross-shore NNW breeze, so that could clean up for the morning session.

Overall, the two true standouts are Friday morning the 14th and Thursday morning the 20th – both glassy, long-period SW swells, clean conditions. For a reef that’s consistent and beginner-friendly when it’s calm, these are your windows.

Stay salty.
Rusty

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