Big Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about the only show in town for this stretch: Big Beach.

Overall, it’s a bit of a slow burner. The first few days are pretty marginal, and we don't really see much happening until we get into the back half of the first week and the second week. The real standout window is around September 8th, but there’s a decent run of clean conditions later on for those patient enough to wait.

We kick off with a small, long-period south swell on Tuesday the 1st. Only 2ft of swell with an 18-second period. The combined wave energy is weak (413). Winds are cross-offshore from the ENE at 12 mph, so it’s clean, but the swell is too small to get excited about. Same story on Wednesday the 2nd—still small at 3ft, still clean, but the wind picks up to 16 mph. Thursday the 3rd brings a slight drop in size back to 2ft, but the afternoon shifts to a clean 4ft south swell with offshore winds.

Friday the 4th is when things start to perk up. The swell builds to 5ft from the south (11-second period) with moderate wave energy (514 in the morning, 532 in the afternoon). Winds go offshore in the afternoon, and it’s described as good surf conditions. That’s more like it.

Saturday the 5th is the first real highlight before the big one. Clean 4ft to 5ft swell from the SSW with a 12-second period, light offshore winds in the morning from the NE, and the energy bumps up to 543-571. This is a solid, clean day.

Sunday the 6th continues the clean run but the swell starts to fade. Still, the afternoon has a surprise: a 2ft swell with a very long 19-second period and moderate energy (487). A small but clean groundswell.

Now, the standout. Monday the 7th of September is a building swell, but Tuesday the 8th of September is the pick of the entire forecast. The swell jumps to 5ft in the morning and 7ft in the afternoon from the WSW, with a 14-second period. The combined wave energy is absolutely pumping—1471 in the morning and 2379 in the afternoon. That is serious wave energy. Winds are light cross-offshore from the ESE. This is excellent surf, but at 7ft with that power, it’s only for experienced surfers. The rest of us will be watching from the sand. It’s a beach break, so that long period groundswell might stand it up a bit straight, but with that much energy, there will be bombs. The water temp is a warm 81°, right about average for this time of year.

After that peak, the swell drops back quickly. Wednesday the 9th is still clean but much smaller at 3ft. It fades out through the rest of the week with small, clean waves and light winds.

Then we hit a real lull. From roughly the 11th through the 14th, the swell is tiny, mostly under 2ft. The wave energy drops below 200. It’s glassy at times, but there’s just nothing to ride.

But wait. There’s a late surprise. Monday the 15th of September is worth a mention. A clean 3ft southwest swell rolls in with a very long 21-second period and the energy jumps back up to a solid 706. The wind is glassy in the morning—dead calm. That’s a beautiful setup for a clean, lined-up wave. The 16th holds similar 3ft swell from the SSW with lighter winds.

So, if you want the best, you’re looking at Saturday the 5th of September for a solid, clean day everyone can enjoy, or Tuesday the 8th of September for the experts. The late glassy groundswell on the 15th is a hidden gem if you like long-period lines.

Stay salty,
Rusty.

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