Wonthaggi Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Hey folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down this 16-day stretch for Wonthaggi. It’s a real tale of two halves – the first week is mostly a battle with the wind, but the second half has some absolute gems. The water temp is sitting at 56°F, which is pretty standard for the season, nothing wild.

We start on Saturday, August 8th. The swell is 5ft from the WSW with a very long period of 16 seconds – that’s proper groundswell. The morning is cloudy, with a cross-off wind from the north at 9 mph, and it’s clean. The afternoon stays similar, lighter wind at 6 mph, still cross-off and clean. A solid start.

Sunday the 9th drops a bit. The morning has 4ft from the WSW, 14-second period, and a nice offshore wind from the NE at 9 mph. Clean and gentle. The afternoon goes to 3ft and cross-off, still clean but marginal. Patience required.

Monday the 10th, the wind turns ugly. A fresh breeze from the NNW at 19 mph, cross-shore, with the swell jumping to 6ft and 19-second period. The morning is lumpy, and the afternoon is worse with a cross-onshore wind and 7ft of slop. This is more of a kite-surfing day than a paddle day. Tuesday the 11th through Friday the 14th is a write-off. The wind is fresh to moderate, mostly cross-shore or onshore, and the swell hits 10ft with massive energy. That’s expert-only, and even then, it’s a battle with the chop. The beach-and-reef setup just isn’t fun in that mess.

Saturday the 15th is still rough. The morning has 7ft from the SW with a 15-second period, but the wind is onshore at 6 mph. Marginal. The afternoon is a bit better with a light cross-onshore from the south, but still not great.

Now, the good stuff. Sunday the 16th of August. The morning is clear, with a glassy offshore wind from the east at just 3 mph. The swell is 6ft from the WSW with a 14-second period. Clean. The afternoon has a moderate cross-off breeze from the SE, but still clean. A solid day.

Monday the 17th is a beauty. The morning is clear, glassy offshore from the NNE at 3 mph, with 5ft from the SW and 14-second period. Clean. The afternoon is a bit cross-shore, but still light. One of the best on offer.

Tuesday the 18th and Wednesday the 19th are both good. Wednesday the 19th is the real standout. The morning is clear, with a cross-off breeze from the north at 6 mph, and 5ft from the WSW, 16-second period. Clean. The afternoon is absolutely glassy – a light breeze from the SE at 3 mph, with 4ft and 16-second period. That’s a dream session.

Thursday the 20th starts with a dead calm, glassy morning – zero wind, 4ft of WSW swell at 15 seconds. Pure, clean, lonely. The afternoon gets a little cross-shore.

Friday the 21st of August. This is the big one. The morning is clear, with a light offshore breeze from the east at 6 mph. The swell is 8ft from the WSW with a 16-second period, and the energy is strong. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers – the long period will line up nicely at the reef and point breaks, and the wind is clean. This is the standout of the whole run.

Saturday the 22nd has a glassy afternoon with 5ft and 14-second period, which is nice. But Sunday the 23rd is back to a fresh cross-shore breeze and lumpy conditions, so that’s the end of the good run.

To sum it up: the first week is mostly a mess with a few clean windows on the 8th and 9th, then a long gap of rough days. The real gold is from Sunday the 16th through to Friday the 21st, with Wednesday the 19th and Friday the 21st being the absolute pick. Glassy conditions, clean lines, and proper groundswell. Get after it.

Rusty.

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