Watermans Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Watermans over the next couple of weeks.

The forecast window kicks off with some action right away. Sunday the 16th is a bit of a tease – you’ve got a solid 6ft to 7ft swell swinging in from the WSW with a very long period of 15-16 seconds, and the wind is cross-off from the NNE. The water temperature is about average for this time of year. The issue is the tide and conditions are described as marginal. The combined energy is pumping though, at 1766 to 2066 (moderate to strong energy), so there’s power, but it’s not quite coming together perfectly. It’s clean, but there’s a question mark over the tide.

Monday the 17th is a write-off – fresh cross-onshore winds and rain, swell jumping to 12ft but with horrible onshore wind. Forget it.

Now, here’s one of the true standouts: Tuesday morning the 18th. This is the best on offer in the first week. It’s glassy – dead calm, zero wind. Swell is a solid 12ft from the WSW with a 16-second period, and the combined energy is massive at 6070 (strong to very strong wave energy). This is expert territory – that size and power are not for beginners. The reef at Watermans will handle that long-period groundswell beautifully. The forecast says “exceptional surf conditions for expert surfers,” and I’m buzzing just reading it. If you’re skilled and ready, be there at dawn.

The rest of that week dips in quality. Wednesday and Thursday mornings see the swell stay in the 8ft to 10ft range, but the wind turns onshore or cross-onshore, making it lumpy. Energy drops a bit too, though Thursday morning still has 5043 (strong energy). Not the cleanest.

Then Friday the 21st offers another proper window. Both morning and afternoon have offshore winds – ENE and E, light to moderate. Swell is 8ft from the WSW, 15-second period, and the combined energy is around 2843 to 3282 (moderate to strong). The forecast calls it “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” This is a serious session for anyone comfortable with overhead waves. Clean, powerful, and organized.

Saturday the 22nd drops off in size to 6ft-7ft, and winds go cross-shore. Not terrible, but nothing to write home about.

Sunday the 23rd is worth a mention – morning has a gentle offshore from the ENE, swell 6ft at 16 seconds, combined energy of 1339 (moderate). Clean and fun for the average surfer. Afternoon stays clean with light ESE cross-off.

Then there’s a long gap. From Monday the 24th onward, the surf gets small, messy, or blown out. The 24th has a 5ft swell but a fresh NNE cross-off – not great. Then a run of poor conditions with rain, strong onshore winds, and lumpy seas takes over from the 25th through the 27th. Combined energy spikes though – the 26th hits 7257 and 6269 (very strong), but it’s all onshore chop.

Now, looking further ahead to the second week, there’s a promising but less certain call for Saturday morning the 29th. Glassy conditions with an ESE breeze, a 8ft WSW swell, and a very long 18-second period. Combined energy is 4726 (strong energy). The forecast is “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” That long-period groundswell will line up straight on the reef. Mark it, but know it’s a week and a half out.

Sunday the 30th morning also stands out – light NE cross-off, 10ft from the WSW, 17-second period, and combined energy of 4785 (strong energy). Clean and powerful. Again, for pros only.

Finally, Monday morning the 31st – the last call of the window – is glassy again, with a 12ft swell from the WSW, 15-second period, and combined energy of 5552 (very strong energy). The forecast says “exceptional surf conditions for expert surfers.” That caps off the run with a bang.

Overall, the standout is Tuesday the 18th morning with that glassy, high-energy, big swell. Friday the 21st and the late-month mornings (29th, 30th, 31st) are also prime for experienced surfers. Beginners should stay well clear of most of this – it’s heavy stuff when the swell is over 8ft.

Best wave of the window: Tuesday 18th morning at Watermans – glassy, 12ft, 16-second WSW groundswell, and it’s just you and the reef.

Rusty.

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