Whitsand Bay and Tregantle Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright mates, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

Gotta be honest, this is a tough run. For the whole 16-day window, we are looking at a flat spell with nothing really worth paddling out for. The first time you might even think about wetting a line doesn’t show up until the very end. It’s one of those quiet periods where the ocean just takes a nap.

Starting from the top. Right now and through Wednesday the 12th and Thursday the 13th of August, we’ve got micro-swells. Whitsand Bay and Tregantle is seeing waves around 1ft to 2ft from the WSW, but the energy is weak (29 to 90) and the period is short. The water temp is 66°, which is a touch warmer than normal for the season. Winds are cross or cross-off on Wednesday morning with a moderate breeze from the ESE at 16 mph, which cleans it up some, but the swell is just too small to do anything with.

Friday the 14th through to the following week is more of the same. A mix of cross-shore and cross-onshore breezes, with wave heights barely cracking 1ft. Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th see a fresh breeze from the N and NNW, blowing cross-off, giving clean conditions, but the swell drops to a pathetic 0.7ft. The energy is next to nothing (4 to 20), so it’s a flat spell.

Monday the 17th tries a little something different, but it’s a tease. We’ve got a tiny 0.3ft swell from the S with a very long period of 18 seconds. That long period means it’s a groundswell, which could offer some shape if there was any size, but at 0.3ft it’s just a ripple. The cross-off wind is light from the N at 3 mph in the morning, but it’s too small to ride.

The middle of the week, Tuesday the 18th, sees a jump in wind with a fresh breeze from the WNW at 22 mph, but the swell is still junk. Afternoon gets a little bump to 3ft from the WSW, but the period drops to a terrible 5 seconds. This is windswell, and with a fresh cross-onshore making it lumpy, this is more of a kite-surfing session than a paddle-surfing one. The energy is moderate (41), but the quality is poor.

From Wednesday the 19th through Sunday the 23rd, it’s a grind. Winds are mostly cross-off or cross-onshore, with clean conditions in the mornings, but the swell stays under 1ft. There’s a hint of longer period (14-15 seconds) on the 22nd and 23rd, but the swell direction is from the S or SSW, and the size is negligible. The energy readings are low (15 to 32).

The one period that might offer a tiny flicker of hope is the very last days, starting around Wednesday the 26th of August. On Wednesday afternoon, we see a bit of a lift to 2ft from the SW, with a period of 9 seconds and energy up to 46. It’s still cross-onshore from the S at 9 mph, so it’ll be fairly choppy, but there might be a few crumbly walls. Thursday the 27th morning is similar with 2ft from the WSW, but the cross-onshore wind from the WSW at 12 mph keeps it choppy. The afternoon on the 27th sees the swell drop back to 1ft with a longer 12-second period, but the wind cranks to 19 mph from the W, making it lumpy.

If I had to pick a standout – and this is a tough call – I’d point to Thursday morning the 27th of August at Whitsand Bay and Tregantle. It’s not good surf, but it’s the most “surfable” moment in the whole outlook. The swell is 2ft from the WSW with a moderate 8-second period, and the combined swell energy is 48. It’s exposed to the SW, which matches the swell direction. The wind is a moderate breeze from the WSW at 12 mph, making it cross-onshore and choppy, so you won’t get perfection, but it’s the biggest and most consistent window in a very quiet month. Crowds are often here, so you won’t be alone, but with conditions this marginal, it might keep the crowd down.

The bottom line: It’s a dry spell. Keep the board in the car and stay ready, because forecasts can change, and in an area like this, it tends not to stay totally flat forever.

Rusty.

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