Wategos Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here, checking in with the outlook for the next couple of weeks. Let’s get straight into it.

Overall, the pattern is a long, drawn-out stretch of small, marginal waves. We’ve got a bit of a wait on our hands. The first real look comes in on Sunday afternoon, the 23rd of August, but it’s nothing to get excited about. For the first week, there’s a persistent run of small ENE windswell, with the swell height hovering around the 3 ft to 5 ft mark. The problem is the wind is all over the shop, rarely playing ball. The water temp is a touch below average for the time of year, sitting at 68°.

The pick of the breaks is going to be Wategos (Byron Bay). It’s a point break that’s very consistent, so it’s always worth a look, but for this period, it’s a bit of a grind. The best chance for a decent session will be on the morning of Thursday the 27th of August. We’ll have a 4 ft ENE swell, which is a bit small but clean, with a moderate SSW offshore breeze tidying things up. The combined energy will be moderate (238). The following morning, Friday the 28th, also looks clean with a light S offshore and a 4 ft ENE swell, offering moderate energy (142). Both of these are the standouts, but they are still small and ordinary.

The first week is a real mixed bag of onshores and cross-onshore winds, with the odd clean window. The afternoon of Saturday the 29th has a little 3 ft ENE swell with a clean cross-off breeze, but it's weak. Sunday the 30th sees the swell drop and the breeze picks up. The morning of Monday the 31st is clean but tiny, at 2 ft.

Then, right at the tail end of the first week, we get a momentary glimmer. On Tuesday morning, the 1st of September, the wind goes glassy, and the swell is 3 ft from the ENE with a longer period of 10 seconds. The energy is moderate (154). It’s still small, but glassy conditions at Wategos can be a real treat. That’s your best bet for a clean, cruisy session.

After that, it’s pretty grim. From the 2nd of September right through to the 7th, we have a solid run of onshore winds from the north, with waves consistently under 3 ft and mostly below 3 ft. The combined energy drops to weak levels (between 51 and 83) for most of the second week. The only other chance is Sunday morning, the 6th of September, with a clean 2 ft ENE swell and a light S offshore, but it’s very weak (59). It’s a long stretch of frustrating weather for surfers.

So, to sum it up: it’s a lean period. The best windows are Thursday morning the 27th of August, Friday morning the 28th of August, and Tuesday morning the 1st of September. If you’re desperate, keep an eye on that glassy morning. Otherwise, get the kite gear out, because this small, messy setup is more interesting for kiting than for paddling.

Rusty.

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