Windansea Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – the next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag for Windansea. It’s a reef break that’s exposed to SW swell, and it’s fairly consistent, but we’re going to see a lot of marginal days before things finally click into gear. The water temp is sitting around 70°, which is about normal for this time of year.

From Thursday the 20th of August through to Wednesday the 2nd of September, it’s pretty grim. Swell is tiny, mostly under 3 ft, with periods all over the shop. The energy is weak to moderate – values are mostly in the 200 to 400 range (combined energy), which isn’t enough to get excited about. Winds are mostly light but cross-onshore or onshore, so the surface is going to be messy. There’s a few mornings with light breezes, but the wave comment keeps saying “poor surf conditions” or “marginal” – there’s just nothing to write home about. You’ll see a small bump on the 26th of August where the swell picks up to 4 ft from the SSW, with a 13-second period, and energy hits 870, but it’s still cross-shore wind and the wave comment says “marginal.” It’s a pass for me.

Then we hit a dry patch from the 31st of August through the 1st and 2nd of September – still small, still crummy, with energy dropping back into the 300s. On the 1st of September, the swell direction swings to WNW with a short 8-second period, and the wind is a moderate cross-shore from the S at 16 mph. That’s not surfable, that’s kite-surfing weather if anything.

But hold on, because Thursday the 4th of September is the standout. Morning session is looking special. We’ve got a 4 ft SSW swell with a 17-second period – that’s proper groundswell, long-period energy, which tends to shape up well at reefs like Windansea. The wind is glassy, from the WSW at just 3 mph, which means the surface will be clean as a whistle. The combined energy is 984 – nearly strong, and the wave comment says “expect very good surf conditions.” That’s your window. The afternoon firms up with a similar 4 ft swell and energy over 1000, but the wind swings to a cross-shore from the S at 9 mph, so the morning is the pick.

For the long haul, the 4th of September morning is the best on offer – glassy, long-period SSW groundswell, and a reef that loves that direction. Get in the water.

Rusty

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