West Dale Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here, and I've gotta be straight with you – the forecast for West Dale is a real mixed bag, and for the most part, it's a waiting game. We're looking at a long stretch of pretty ordinary conditions before a potential window opens up. There's a big gap at the start with no real surf on offer.

We kick off on Wednesday, 26th August, with tiny 1.3ft SSW swell and short periods around 7-8 seconds. The combined swell energy is a weak 35, and it's poor. That sets the tone for the next week. Thursday 27th is even smaller, with 0.7ft and 1.0ft, and the energy drops to a measly 9. The wind is onshore or cross-off, but the waves just aren't there.

The swell picks up on Friday 28th August, with 5.9ft SW swell, but the period is a woeful 6 seconds and the wind is a fresh cross-onshore, making it messy. The energy is moderate at 245, but the quality is poor. This continues right through the weekend and into the start of September. We see bigger swells, hitting 9.8ft on Saturday 29th August with a combined energy of 1055, but it's onshore and blowing 28 mph. That's heavy, messy, and only for the hardcore if you're a kite surfer looking for something to do. On Monday 31st, the swell is 5.9ft with a 657 energy reading, but again, strong cross-onshore winds ruin it. The pattern is the same: onshore wind, short period, and "poor surf conditions" across the board.

Finally, we get a glimmer of hope. On Friday, 4th September, the morning session looks like the standout. The swell is a consistent 3.6ft from the WSW, with a period of 10 seconds – that's a proper groundswell with some energy (308). The wind is glassy, from the NNW at just 3 mph. That's the window. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so a 3/2 wetsuit should do you fine. West Dale is an exposed, fairly consistent spot, and with that glassy morning, it'll be clean. The swell direction is out of the WSW, which is a good match for the optimum SW direction. The score is a 2/10, but in this forecast, that's the best we've got. It's not a monster, but it'll be fun. The afternoon sees the wind pick up and turn cross-off, so it'll be cleaner but a bit bumpy. Crowds are possible at West Dale, but on a Friday morning with only 3.6ft on offer, you might have it mostly to yourself.

After that, Saturday 5th September drops to 2.6ft, and Sunday 6th has a 5.9ft S swell with a 6-second period and marginal conditions. The long-range stuff from 7th September onwards looks like a dumpster fire again – huge swell (11.5ft on Monday 7th) with massive energy (2758) but it's all onshore and messy. That's not for paddle surfing.

So, the plan is simple: wait for the glassy morning of Friday, 4th September. It's the only true standout in the whole 16-day window. The rest is a write-off.

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