Big Ben Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks. There’s a bit of a slow start, but things are gonna fire up in a big way before settling back down again. Strap in.

We kick off with a bit of swell on Wednesday the 16th. Big Ben (Big-Ben) is showing around 3.3ft of east swell with a 13-second period. The energy’s moderate, sitting at 423, and with that light cross-offshore NNE breeze, it’s clean. It’s a beginner-friendly size, but don’t get too excited—this is just the warm-up. The water’s sitting at 79.3°, which is pretty much spot on for this time of year, so no dramas there.

Thursday the 17th sees the swell bump up to 6.2-6.6ft from the northeast, but the period drops right off to 7-8 seconds. That’s short-period, windswell stuff. The wind’s a cross-offshore at 30 km/h, keeping it reasonably clean, but the energy’s still moderate (536-571). It’s surfable, but pretty ordinary. Friday the 18th is much the same story—6.9-7.9ft from the ENE with a 8-9 second period, still a fresh cross-offshore breeze. Nothing to write home about, just lumpy, walled-up waves.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Saturday the 19th and Sunday the 20th bring a serious pulse. We’re looking at 13-15ft of southeast swell with a 11-13 second period. The energy’s through the roof—we’re talking 5,303 to 9,355, strong to very strong. The wind’s still cross-offshore and clean. But here’s the thing: this is way too big for Big Ben. It’s a beach/jetty setup, and anything over 8.2ft is expert territory. This is big, powerful, and dangerous. If you’re a seasoned charger, this could be a wild ride, but for most of us, it’s a day to watch from the sand. Monday the 21st keeps the size around 13ft in the morning, but the period drops and the wind picks up to a strong 40-50 km/h. That’s sloppy, blown-out chaos in the afternoon. Not good.

After that, it all fades fast. Tuesday the 22nd drops to under 3.3ft, and the wind swings onshore. From Wednesday the 23rd through to Tuesday the 29th, it’s pretty grim. Waves are small, 1.6-4.6ft, with short periods and cross-onshore winds. There’s a bit of a bump on the 24th with 3.3ft and glassy conditions in the afternoon, but it’s nothing special. The energy’s weak to moderate, and the surf is messy. This stretch is a write-off.

Now, the best of the bunch comes at the tail end. Wednesday the 30th of September starts to show some life again, with 4.6ft of southwest swell and a 15-16 second period. The energy’s moderate (1510-1810), but the wind’s a bit cross. However, Thursday the 1st of October is the real standout. We’ve got 4.3ft of clean southwest groundswell with a 15-second period, and the wind is light and cross-offshore at 10 km/h. The water’s glassy, the waves have proper push. This is the pick of the whole forecast—clean, lined-up, and with enough power to be fun without being scary. The energy is moderate (1450 in the morning, 960 in the afternoon), but the quality is there.

So, overall, the standout is clearly October 1st at Big Ben. It’s not the biggest, but it’s the cleanest and most well-shaped. If you’ve got a window, that’s the one to chase. The big weekend swell is impressive, but it’s too much for this spot. The rest is pretty average.

That’s how I see it. Stay safe out there, and don’t push it on the big days.

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