Vilano Jetty Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right now, the outlook is looking pretty flat for Vilano Jetty. The forecast shows a whole lot of small, weak, and messy conditions for the near future. We’ve got a long gap here with no real surf to get excited about.

Right off the bat, from Wednesday 19th of August through to at least Wednesday 26th of August, we’re looking at tiny waves. We’re talking swell heights mostly sitting at 1.0 ft to 1 ft, with periods mostly under 10 seconds. The combined energy is very low, often in the teens or twenties (12 to 53), meaning there’s just no push. Wednesday morning the 19th gives us 1 ft from the ESE at 10 seconds, but it’s crossed up and just messy. Thursday morning the 20th is glassy with 1.0 ft, but it’s barely a ripple. The water temp is sitting at 85°, which is pretty normal for this time of year.

The first faint glimmer of something happens on Thursday 27th August. The morning has offshore winds from the WSW at 15 km/h, with 1 ft from the ESE at 9 seconds. The combined energy edges up to 40, and it’s clean. The afternoon gets a bit more energy at 53, still with offshore winds from the SSW, and while it’s described as surfable, it’s still very ordinary. Friday 28th is glassy in the morning but tiny again. Saturday 29th morning has a glassy 2 ft from the E at 10 seconds, with combined energy of 55, and it’s called surfable but ordinary. Still, those are the best windows in the first week.

Then we hit a bigger gap. From Saturday 29th afternoon through to the end of the forecast, conditions get worse. The wind turns onshore or cross-onshore, and the swell gets short and messy. On Sunday 30th August, we see 3 ft to 4 ft from the ENE but with a period of only 6 seconds, so it’s a lumpy, weak windswell. The combined energy goes up to 97 and then 123 on the afternoon, but it’s just poor quality stuff.

The one standout that looks promising on paper is Tuesday 1st September. The afternoon shows 4 ft from the E with a long period of 13 seconds, and combined energy jumps to 566. That’s a proper groundswell. But here’s the catch: the wind is cross-onshore from the E at 15 km/h, and the wave comment says “poor surf conditions.” So while there’s energy, it’s going to be a choppy, blown-out mess at Vilano Jetty. That’s a real shame. For a beach/jetty setup, a long period swell like that can also break a bit too straight, so it’s not ideal.

Bottom line: if you’re desperate for a paddle, the glassy mornings around 27th to 29th August might give you a few tiny, clean knee-slappers, but nothing to write home about. The 1st September has the most energy, but the wind is going to ruin it. For kite surfers, the windier afternoons with that 4 ft windswell might be more interesting, but for paddle surfing, it’s a tough stretch.

Rusty

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