Big Ben Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. I’ve had a good look at what’s coming down the line for Big Ben, and I’ve gotta be straight with you – this is a tough block of surf. We’ve got a serious run of poor conditions for the next couple of weeks, but there is one absolute ripper of a window that pops up right at the tail end of the forecast. For now, it’s all about waiting.

We kick off on Friday the 28th of August with some size – 5.9ft of short-period, weak SW swell – but the wind is a messy cross-off at 22 mph. The water’s a touch warmer than normal for this time of year at 82.6°F, but that won’t matter because the surf looks lacklustre. The combined energy is moderate (465). There’s nothing for it on Saturday or Sunday either – we drop to tiny 2.0ft and 1.6ft with poor winds, getting a few light breezes on Sunday morning but the swell is barely a pulse. That pattern of small, weak easterly windswell with cross and cross-on winds drags on through Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of the first week. There’s a brief uptick on Tuesday the 1st of September with a 3.3ft to 3.9ft easterly swell and some light onshore wind, but the energy is moderate (386-544) and the surf is just marginal at best. Honestly, it’s a write-off for paddle surfing through this whole patch.

We slide into the second week, and it doesn’t get much better. Thursday the 3rd of September shows a 3.9ft SSW swell with moderate energy (565) but stiff cross-onshore winds. Friday the 4th is a total washout with 22 mph cross winds. The weekend of the 5th and 6th offers nothing special – slight hope on the Saturday afternoon with a 4.6ft easterly pulse and lighter cross-off wind, but the period is a weak 6 seconds. The combined energy (281) is weak. It’s just bleak.

Now, hang on – here’s where it gets interesting. The real story is Thursday the 10th of September through to Saturday the 12th. Thursday morning delivers a big jump – 9.8ft of SSE groundswell with a long period (14 seconds) and light cross-off wind. But, and this is a big but, that is way too much for a beginner spot like Big Ben. The combined energy is strong (3572). That morning is for experts only. The standout session, without a doubt, is Friday the 11th of September. On Friday morning, we’ve got 8.2ft of clean, long-period SSE groundswell (13 seconds) and glassy conditions – yes, glassy! The wind is barely a whisper from the SSE at 3 mph. The combined energy is strong (2633). This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. The swell is big, so it’s not for the groms, but for anyone with a bit of paddle fitness, this will be the best wave we’ve seen in the entire outlook. The swell direction (SSE) lines up nicely with the optimum. Keep in mind that a long-period groundswell like this can break a bit straight on a beach break, but at Big Ben being a jetty, it should be fine. Crowds are possible here. Saturday morning the 12th holds 8.2ft with cross winds, so the quality slips, but the swell energy is still strong (2269).

Overall, it’s a long, grim wait with a fantastic payoff for those who can get out on Friday the 11th of September. Everything before that is just watching the forecast and hoping.

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