Big Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, let's talk about what's coming up at Big Bay.

We’ve got a mixed bag to start, but hold onto your board because the second half of this outlook cleans right up. Things kick off pretty average, but if you’re patient, there’s some proper gold at the end.

Right now, this Sunday the 13th, we’ve got a solid 7ft SW groundswell rolling in with a long 14-second period. The energy is pumping with a reading of 1922, but the wind is light and cross, so it’s not going to be perfect. It’s rideable, but a bit messy. The water temp is about what you’d expect for this time of year.

Into Monday and Tuesday, it gets a bit grim. The wind kicks up strong from the NNW and NW, hitting 19 mph, and the swell drops off. The surf quality dives hard, with conditions labelled as poor, so I wouldn't bother paddling out. We're looking at a solid couple of days with nothing to offer.

Now, Wednesday the 16th shows a glimmer of hope. The swell bumps back up to 8ft from the WSW with 13-second period and the wind turns cross-offshore from the SSE. It's a bit raw with strong energy (2672), and it's clean, but there’s a big caveat: that 8ft is pushing into expert-only territory. It's also a bit of a beast, so if you’re not confident, sit this one out.

Thursday the 17th and Friday the 18th are where it starts to turn on for the intermediate crew. Clean, offshore winds from the SE at 19 mph, holding a consistent 6ft SW swell with 12-13 second periods. The energy stays moderate (around 1009-1092) but the conditions are glassy and clean. These are solid, reliable days with good shaped waves.

The real standout, the day you should mark in your calendar, is Saturday the 19th of September. Everything clicks. We’ve got a clean 7ft SW swell with a 14-second period, the wind is gentle offshore from the SE at just 9 mph, and the wave energy is strong at 1528. This is prime surf for experienced surfers. The wave quality is excellent and it’ll be clean as a whistle all morning. This is the pick of the entire period.

We get a bit of a lull on the 20th and 21st with smaller 4ft swell and more cross-shore chop, but then we get another beautiful run from the morning of Tuesday the 23rd of September. The swell jumps to 8ft from the SW with 13-second period, winds are light and cross-offshore, and the energy is pumping at 1750. This is another excellent day for experienced surfers, with clean, powerful lines.

The end of the outlook has some solid waves, too, with a massive 10ft on the afternoon of the 24th from a short period S swell. That’s a lot of energy (3175), but with only 9 seconds between waves, it’s going to be fat and gutless on the face, better for a kite than a paddle. The 25th also holds a solid 8ft from the SSW with offshores, but it’s for the experienced crew only.

All in all, the first week is a bit of a struggle, but the second half of the period delivers some absolute gems. Focus on the 19th and the 22nd-23rd for the best of it.

Rusty.

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