Wategos Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty, and I’ve been eyeballing the charts for your local stretch. Honestly, the next 16 days are a mixed bag of frustration and a little bit of hope. We’ve got a real quiet start, and it’s not until the second week that things start to look like they might just fire up.

The first swell of any real note doesn’t show until Sunday, August 16th, so we’re looking at nearly a week of flat, weak conditions. From the 10th through to the morning of the 16th, it’s a real struggle—tiny waves, poor surf, and even when it’s clean, there’s just nothing to ride. The energy is pathetic, with the combined swell energy hanging around the 31 to 48 mark, which is barely a whisper. You’d be better off checking the wind for a kite session than paddling out.

Now, Sunday the 16th morning brings a sniff of life. The swell kicks up to 4 ft from the SE, with a period of just 6 seconds. The energy bumps up to 145, but it’s still a bit short and jumbly. The afternoon sees a jump to 5 ft from the SE, 7-second period, and a combined energy of 240. The wind goes light offshore from the SSE, and the water is clean. It’s surfable, but it’s far from perfect. The wave comment says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” and that’s about right. It’s a start, but nothing to get too excited about.

Monday the 17th is a step up, but the wind is a problem. The morning has 6 ft from the SE, 7 seconds, and a combined energy of 372. The wind is cross-offshore from the SE at 16 mph, so it’s clean but has a bit of a chop. The afternoon is similar, with 6 ft and 420 energy, but the wind stays cross-off. It’s marginal—the wave comment says “marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions.” It’s a bit of a battle, but there’s power in the water.

The standout window begins to open on Tuesday the 18th. The morning has 7 ft from the SE, 8-second period, and a combined energy of 544. The wind is cross-offshore from the ESE at 12 mph, so it’s clean. The afternoon drops slightly to 7 ft, but the energy is still strong at 517. This is moderate wave energy, and it’s starting to push the limits. Anything over 8 ft is expert-only, so 7 ft is still within the intermediate range, but it’s getting punchy. The wave comment is still “marginal,” but the power is there.

Wednesday the 19th is where it gets interesting. The morning has 6 ft from the SE, 8 seconds, and 414 energy with cross-off wind. The afternoon, though, is the pick of the whole 16 days. The swell holds at 7 ft from the SE, 8 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 533. The wind drops to a light breeze from the ESE at 6 mph, making it a cross-offshore setup. The wave comment says “expect good surf conditions.” This is the one. The water temperature is about 69°F, which is pretty much normal for the time of year—nothing unusual there. The wave energy is moderate and strong, and the wind is light, so the lines will be clean. This is the session to aim for. The break is Wategos, a point that’s very consistent and always crowded, so expect company. The swell direction is SE, which is not the optimum NE direction, but the power and cleanliness make up for it.

Thursday the 20th drops off quickly. The morning has 3 ft from the E, 8 seconds, and 146 energy with offshore wind from the S. The afternoon is 4 ft from the E, 7 seconds, and 163 energy. It’s surfable but ordinary. The rest of the run from the 21st to the 25th is a slow fade into small, weak conditions with bad onshore winds. The 23rd Sunday morning has a moment of glassy conditions with 4 ft from the E, 9 seconds, and 194 energy, but it’s just a tease.

So, the real standout is Wednesday, August 19th, in the afternoon. That’s the one to clear your schedule for. The water is about average temps, the swell is solid, and the wind is light. It’s going to be a good one. The second best is probably Tuesday the 18th, but it’s a bit more marginal with the wind. Everything else is just filler.

Rusty.

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