Big Ben Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

First up, the surf window starts on Thursday the 5th of September with a small, marginal pulse. For the next week and a half, it’s mostly a mixed bag of wind and swell, with a few short-lived windows. The big standout is a long-range swell expected around the 18th of September – but that’s a ways off and comes with a huge caveat.

The first decent chance to wet a line is Saturday afternoon the 5th at Big Ben. A small 4.3ft swell from the ESE, a period of 7 seconds. The wind is gentle and cross-offshore so it will be clean. It’s an inconsistent break to begin with, so be patient. Crowds are possible.

Monday the 7th brings a real treat. The morning has a solid 7.2ft ESE groundswell (820 energy) with glassy conditions – that’s zero wind. That’s the cleanest surf you’ll see for a while at Big Ben. The swell is a little chunky with an 8-second period, so it won’t be perfect, but glass is glass. The water temperature feels about average for this time of year.

The rest of the first week is rough. Sunday the 6th through Wednesday the 9th you’re looking at big, messy windswell with onshore or cross-onshore winds. Swells hit 13.1ft on Wednesday the 9th, but it’s a lumpy, cross-onshore mess. Unless you’re an expert on a big day, you’ll want to sit that out.

The second week starts to clean up a little. Friday morning the 11th sees a dropping 4.6ft S swell with a gentle cross-offshore breeze – clean conditions again. Then from Sunday the 13th through Tuesday the 15th there are modest pulses of E/ESE swell around 4.3ft to 5.9ft, with clean conditions each morning. The period hits 10-11 seconds on the 14th and 15th, giving the waves a bit more shape and energy (energy values between 509 and 790). These are good windows for a consistent surfer.

Now, the big one. On Thursday the 17th, the morning shows a 6.6ft E swell with a very long 14-second period, clean cross-offshore wind. Strong energy at 2135. This is a promising day for those who can handle it. The afternoon of the 17th also holds a 4.9ft S swell with light cross-offshore breeze.

Then, on Friday morning the 18th, the forecast shows a massive 9.8ft SSE groundswell with a 15-second period. The combined energy is a crazy 4370. The wind is cross-offshore at 12 mph. This is the standout of the entire 16-day window, but here’s the thing – at 9.8ft, this is expert-only territory. The long period (over 15 seconds) means it will bore in fast and straight at a beach setup. It might look better for the paddle-out, but the wave shape could be tricky. Keep this in mind. The water temperature is still just average.

So, if you’re looking for the top pick for most people, the glassy morning of Monday the 7th is your cleanest, though the swell is small-chunky. For the experienced crew, the long-range pulse on the 18th is the real heavyweight, but it’s a gamble on the shape and size.

Stay salty.

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