Windmills Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Well, I gotta be straight with you—this sixteen-day stretch is a tough one for a paddle. Windmills is our only option on the cards, and the winds are just not playing nice. We’ve got a solid run of cross-shore breezes that are going to mess up the surface, leaving us with chop and lumpy conditions almost every day. It’s a reef break, so it’s got that going for it, but the wind is the enemy here.

Let’s walk through it. Right from Monday the 3rd of August, we’re looking at a moderate breeze from the ENE at 12 mph, and the swell is coming in at 4 ft from the ENE with a short period of 8 seconds. The combined energy is weak at 239, and the surface is a mess—cross-chop. It’s a no-go. That afternoon, the swell bumps up to 5 ft, but the energy is still just moderate at 304, and the wind stays cross. Nothing to write home about.

Tuesday the 4th offers a slight glimmer: a lighter breeze at 6 mph in the morning, with a 4 ft swell from the ENE and a longer period of 11 seconds. The combined energy is moderate at 281. The wind is cross, but light, so you might get a few with small ripples on the surface. It’s marginal at best. The afternoon goes back to a gentle cross-shore breeze and a bit more chop.

From Wednesday the 5th all the way through to the 12th of August, it’s a slog. The wind is consistently from the ENE, 12 to 19 mph, always cross-shore. The swell hovers between 3 ft and 5 ft, with short periods mostly between 5 and 8 seconds. The combined energy stays weak to moderate (73 to 315). Every single report says “poor surf conditions.” It’s a long stretch of days where you’d be fighting the wind more than riding the wave.

Now, we do get a little change around Thursday the 13th of August. The morning shows a cross-offshore wind from the ENE at 19 mph, and the report says “clean.” The swell is 4 ft from the ENE with a 7-second period, and the combined energy is moderate at 247. This is the best window in the whole outlook. The wind is a bit fresh, but the cross-offshore direction could clean up the faces for an advanced surfer. It’s still not perfect, but it’s the only time the surface isn’t a total mess. The afternoon goes back to cross-shore chop.

The last few days, from the 14th to the 18th of August, the wind stays strong, 19 to 22 mph from the ENE. The swell gets a bit bigger—5 ft to 6 ft—and the combined energy climbs into the moderate to strong range (261 to 489). But the period is short (6 to 8 seconds), and the wind is relentless cross-shore. The morning of the 18th of August has that cross-offshore clean condition again, with a 5 ft swell and 8-second period, energy at 373. It’s another potential window, but the wind is still fresh at 22 mph.

Honestly, if you’re set on a paddle, the mornings of the 13th and 18th of August are your best bets—the wind is cross-offshore, giving you a cleaner surface. The swell is manageable for an advanced surfer, but it’s not a standout. For the rest of the time, this setup looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer, with that steady cross-shore wind. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there.

Stay patient, and check back in a few days—forecasts can change. Rusty.

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