Watermans Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for Watermans.

To be straight with you, the start of this forecast is a tough one. We've got a solid swell building, but the wind is a real bastard for the next few days, making it messy. The real story is a massive pulse of long-period groundswell that rolls in around Wednesday the 26th, but it's going to be a battle to find a clean wave. The water temp is pretty much what you'd expect for this time of year, so no surprises there.

We kick off on Tuesday the 25th with a 4ft to 5ft WSW swell, but it's got a 16 mph cross-on wind from the NNW, so it's choppy and poor. The combined energy is moderate (776 to 1083), but it’s not worth the hassle.

Wednesday the 26th is where it gets interesting, but also dangerous. The swell jumps to 10ft on the morning, with a massive 16-second period and combined energy hitting 6099. That's a strong, powerful groundswell. The morning is still blown out by a 16 mph cross-on wind, but the afternoon sees the wind drop to a glassy 3 mph onshore. At 12ft with an 18-second period and 8371 energy, this is a heavy, powerful wave. Only for experts, and even then, it's a beast. This size of swell at a reef break like Watermans is serious business.

Thursday the 27th sees the swell staying solid at 10ft to 12ft, but the wind swings to a strong 19 mph cross-shore from the S, creating a lumpy, cross-chop. Not great.

Friday the 28th is a bit of a letdown. The swell drops to 5ft to 6ft, and the wind goes cross-offshore from the SSE at 9 to 12 mph. The conditions are clean, but the energy is weak (779 to 1103). It’s a small, clean wave, but nothing to write home about.

Saturday the 29th starts with a tiny 3ft groundswell, but it has a very long 19-second period. The combined energy is a weak 873. The wind is a light cross-offshore from the SE, so it's clean. It's a knee-high wave with a lot of energy in it, but it will be a bit slow and tricky. The afternoon builds to 6ft, but the wind swings cross-shore.

Now, mark your calendars for Monday the 31st of August. It’s a standout. The morning is glassy, with zero wind, and a clean 7ft swell from the WSW with a 17-second period. The combined energy is a solid 2322. This is the pick of the first week. Clean, head-high groundswell with no wind. It'll be a bit slower between sets with that long period, but the paddling will be easy and the lines will be smooth. Get out there.

The week after that is a mixed bag. Tuesday the 1st of September stays around 7ft, but the wind is cross-shore, creating a little chop. Wednesday the 2nd drops a bit, and the onshore wind keeps it fairly choppy.

Then we hit another rough patch. From Thursday the 3rd of September right through to Monday the 7th, we’ve got a lot of wind. Onshore winds from various directions, with a near gale on Friday the 4th bringing 31 mph winds and rain. That's blown out and dangerous. The swell is there, but it's unsurfable.

The real light at the end of the tunnel is Tuesday the 8th of September. The wind finally goes offshore from the ENE at 12 mph, with a clean 6ft to 7ft groundswell from the WSW. The combined energy is a moderate 1743 to 1856. This is excellent. Clean, offshore conditions, good groundswell, and a nice size. It's a bit of a wait, but it looks like it will be worth it. The 16-second period will make for some nice, powerful walls at this reef.

So, the two standout sessions are the glassy morning of Monday the 31st of August, and the offshore day on Tuesday the 8th of September. The rest is a lot of waiting for the wind to play nice.

Rusty.

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