Manly Beach Swell Window
Sydney, NSW, Australia · part of the Manly Beach spot guide
- Swell window (from)
- 30°–170° (NNE–S)
- Best direction
- ~110° (ESE)
- Period sweet spot
- 10–14 s
- Open-ocean height (Hs)
- 2–10 ft
- Resulting faces
- 2–10 ft
Open-ocean vs. the face: the heights on buoys and forecast models are significant wave height (Hs) in deep water. What you ride is the breaking face, which depends on period, direction and this break's bathymetry — that's why the two rows above differ. PierMonkey's spot ratings already do this conversion for you.
The window runs from northeast through east to south-southeast. East and southeast give size and consistency, northeast gives the punchiest banks, and south energy converts at the Queenscliff and North Steyne corner in the headland’s lee. Forecast models often call southeast ideal while local knowledge leans east and northeast — a real nuance, since south dominates the offshore supply but east and northeast give the cleanest breaking geometry.
With no headland to amplify it, the breaking face runs about the same as the open-ocean height — this is the honest-size beach. Period around 10-to-14 seconds cleans up the banks.