Watermans Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

We’ve got a solid run of south-west groundswell inbound for Watermans, a classic reef break. The pattern is a long-period pulse that arrives mid-week and hangs around, but the winds are going to be the real story. The standout session is Wednesday afternoon, 26 August, when the wind goes glassy, the swell pushes to 12ft with a 18-second period, and the energy is pumping at 7956. This is not for the faint of heart—this is expert territory. The wave quality is exceptional, and with that long period, the sets will be clean and powerful, peeling nicely down the reef. Crowds are often here, but on a swell this size, only the hardcore will be out.

Water temperature is about average for the time of year, nothing unusual.

The Wednesday morning, 26 August, is a write-off with a strong 25 km/h cross-shore and a 10ft swell that’s messy. You’ll be fighting a cross-chop. Thursday morning, 27 August, is even worse with 35 km/h cross-shore, so skip it. Thursday afternoon cleans up with a cross-off breeze and a 10ft swell from the SW, but it’s still only marginal.

Friday, 28 August, drops a bit in size, with 7ft in the morning and 6ft in the afternoon, both clean but weak energy. The real next highlight is Sunday morning, 30 August. The swell is 8ft from the WSW, 18-second period, and the wind is a light cross-off from the NE. This is excellent for experienced surfers, with a combined energy of 3164. It’s clean and punchy. The Sunday afternoon gets a light cross-on, so not as good.

Monday, 31 August, is a write-off with onshore wind and chop. Tuesday, 1 September, has a 8ft clean morning session but the energy is dropping. Wednesday morning, 2 September, is glassy with a 7ft swell, clean and excellent for experienced surfers, but the energy is moderate.

Now, looking further out, the second week has some promise. Thursday morning, 3 September, is glassy with a 7ft, 14-second swell from the WSW. Clean. Friday morning, 4 September, is clean cross-off with 7ft. Saturday morning, 5 September, is also clean. But the real late standouts are Monday, 7 September, and Tuesday, 8 September. Monday has 7ft to 8ft with offshore winds from the east, clean and consistent. Tuesday morning has a 10ft swell with a cross-off breeze, and Tuesday afternoon is the pick: 10ft, 17-second period, gentle offshore wind from the ENE, and a combined energy of 4565. This is excellent for experts. The 8th of September is about a week and a half away, so keep an eye on it—long-range but promising.

There’s a gap of a few days after the 10th where conditions look marginal, but until then it’s a good stretch.

Rusty, signing off.

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