Big Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, let’s chew the fat on Big Bay for the next couple weeks.

We got a real mixed bag coming, but there’s some serious power on the way if you’re patient. The water’s sitting at 55°F, which is a good 5°F colder than normal for this time of year. That’s a proper cold snap, so you’ll want a thick suit. But don’t let that scare you off completely, cause the quality on those good days is worth the shiver.

We kick off on Thursday morning the 3rd with a clean, glassy 2-yard swell from the WSW, period around 13 seconds. It’s got some meat on it, with moderate wave energy (1111) and the wind is flat calm out of the ESE. This is good, clean, intermediate-level surf, but with the water being so cold and the size over 2 yards, it’s not one for beginners. Thursday afternoon is an absolute mess though. That southerly wind is howling at 31 mph and the swell jumps to a lumpy 4 yards. Forget that, that’s kite-surfing weather, not for a paddle board.

Friday morning the 4th cleans up with a strong offshore breeze from the SE at 25 mph, but the 3-yard swell from the SSE is short-period at 9 seconds and real chunky. It’s clean but a total battle to paddle into, and the wave energy is moderate (1116). This is for confident riders or experts only. The afternoon stays offshore but still big and raw at 3 yards. Hard work.

Saturday the 5th is much friendlier. Morning sees a 2-yard SSE swell with a moderate offshore breeze at 12 mph. It’s clean and the wave energy is moderate (1106). Good for experienced surfers. The afternoon drops right back to a clean 1 yards from the south with a 10-second period and a gentle offshore wind. That’s the sort of session where you can just go have fun.

Sunday the 6th is where it gets real interesting. The morning brings a 2-yard SW groundswell with a very long 18-second period, and a gentle offshore ESE breeze. The wave energy is strong (2754). This is proper, powerful, lined-up swell. It’s going to be clean and punchy. Sunday afternoon keeps the quality with 2 yards and a 16-second period, energy still strong (2089), and light cross-offshore breeze. This is a standout window for experienced surfers – the kind of day you mark on the calendar.

Monday the 7th through to Tuesday the 8th see the quality fall off. The wind swings cross-onshore from the northwest and west, and the swell drops in size and energy. It’s not good, just small ripples and ugly conditions. Wednesday the 9th is clean but small, with 1-yard waves and a moderate southerly cross-offshore breeze. Nothing special.

Thursday the 10th and Friday the 11th bring a little improvement. The swell hangs around 1 to 2 yards from the SW with moderate energy and clean cross-offshore winds. These are fun, workable days for a quiet session, but nothing to get excited about.

Now, the real standout is Sunday the 13th. This one is a beauty. The morning delivers a 3-yard SSW swell with a 12-second period, strong energy (3097), and a moderate offshore SE breeze. The afternoon pumps up to a 4-yard SSW swell with 13-second period, wave energy is very strong (4687), and the wind stays offshore. This is big, clean, and powerful – expert territory for sure. If you’ve got the skills, this is the best day of the whole outlook.

Monday the 14th sees the wind change again, cross-onshore from the west, bringing a messy 3 yards that’s hard to enjoy. Tuesday the 15th is small and choppy, not worth the effort. Wednesday the 16th morning has some lumpy 2 yards with onshore wind, and the afternoon gets hammered by a strong southerly 25 mph wind with clean but tricky 2-yard surf.

The last few days, Thursday the 17th to Friday the 18th, are all clean but windy, with swell hanging around 2 to 2 yards. The wind is a strong cross-offshore, so the surface will be clean, but it’ll be a fight against the breeze. The wave energy is strong throughout, but the wind limits the quality for a paddle session.

All in all, the standout sessions are Sunday morning and afternoon on the 6th for that long-period groundswell, and Sunday the 13th for the big, powerful offshore conditions. The rest is mostly average to poor, with a few decent but not spectacular days in between. Keep the rubber on, and wait for those windows.

Rusty.

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