West Shore Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. I’ve been staring at the charts for our stretch of coast, and I’ve got to be straight with you – it’s a flat spell. We’ve got a 16-day window ahead, but it’s a tough one to call. There are no real standout sessions, and the first solid bit of action doesn't really show up until well into the second week.

The Overall Pattern

We’re looking at a long, drawn-out period of tiny surf. From Wednesday the 19th right through to the end of August, the swell is just a whisper. The water temp is sitting at a chilly 53°, which is a good 3° colder than average for this time of year, so you’ll want a thick suit. The only break we have to look at is West Shore Beach, and it’s an exposed, beginner-friendly beach break that needs a swell from the NE to work properly. Unfortunately, the swell we’re getting is mostly from the ESE and SE.

The First Week (19th – 25th August)

Wednesday afternoon the 19th kicks things off with a 5ft swell from the SE, but it’s got a short, weak period of 9 seconds and a combined energy of just 342 – that’s weak. The wind is a cross-off 16 mph from the SSW, which is clean enough, but the quality is just "marginal." It’s surfable, but it’s not going to light anyone’s fire.

Thursday the 20th drops to 3ft, and the wind swings around, making it messy. Friday morning the 21st is the best of a bad lot early on. We’ve got glassy conditions with a 3 mph WNW breeze and 2ft of swell. The period stretches to 9 seconds, but the energy is only 65. It’s tiny, but clean. If you’re desperate for a log or a foamy, that’s your window. But honestly, it’s "very ordinary."

From Saturday the 22nd onwards, it’s a ghost town. Swell drops to 1ft and then stays around 0.7ft for days. The water gets glassy again on Saturday afternoon and Monday afternoon, but there’s just nothing to push you in. The combined energy sits in the teens, which is basically flat. There’s a 10-day gap here where the best advice is to leave the board in the car.

The Second Week (26th August – 3rd September)

We start to see a tiny pulse of energy return at the very end of the month. The swell remains small, but the period gets longer, up to 13 seconds, which is a longer-period groundswell. That’s a good sign for shape, but at 0.7ft, it’s still just a ripple. The wind stays mostly clean or glassy, but you can’t ride what isn’t there.

The real hope, and I mean *hope*, comes on Tuesday the 1st of September. The swell picks up to 2ft from the ENE with a 10-second period. The combined energy bumps up to 54 (still weak), but the wind is a clean, cross-off 16 mph breeze from the south. It’s not big, but it’s the most rideable wave we’ve seen in two weeks. The trend continues into Wednesday the 2nd with similar conditions.

Then, on Thursday morning the 3rd of September, we get our best shot. The swell is still only 1ft from the ENE, but the wind goes pure offshore from the SW at 16 mph. The energy jumps to 78, which is the highest we’ll see. The period drops to a short 7 seconds, so it’ll be a bit bumpy, but it’s clean, offshore, and it’s the only window where the conditions actually align. It’s a long-range call, so take it with a pinch of salt, but that’s the one to circle on the calendar.

The Bottom Line

There’s no standout day here. The Thursday morning of the 3rd is the best on offer, but even then, it’s small. For beginners, the swell never gets above 5ft, so that’s not a problem, but there’s hardly any wave to learn on. If you’re an expert, there’s nothing to get excited about.

Given the tiny, weak swell and the beach break setup, this is honestly more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer. The wind is consistent, but the waves are not.

Stay patient, boys. It’s going to be a quiet fortnight.

Rusty.

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