Big Ben Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it. We’ve got a 16-day window for Big Ben, but honestly, it’s a slow start and a bit of a mixed bag.

Right off the bat, the first few days are a tough watch. Sunday the 23rd kicks off with tiny 2ft SSE swell at 13 seconds. The wind is cross-on, and the water is sitting at 82°, about average for this time of year. The energy is weak (278) and it’s just not doing anything. Monday the 24th looks a bit more promising, but still not great. The morning has a cleaner 3ft SSE groundswell with a very long 18-second period. That’s a lot of energy (1463), and the wind is light and cross-shore, so it’s rideable. The long period means it’ll have some punch, but at a beach/jetty setup, it might be a bit straight and tricky. The afternoon picks up to 7ft, but the wind gets stronger and cross-shore, making it a messy cross-chop. That size is starting to push it for beginners.

The real standout, and the only time I’d get excited, is on Monday the 24th morning. The swell is 3ft from the SSE, period is a very long 18 seconds, and the energy is strong (1463). The wind is light and cross-shore, keeping it clean. It’s the best combo of size and clean conditions in the whole forecast. It’s not huge, but it’s the pick of the litter. The crowd can be an issue here sometimes, so get in early.

The rest of the week is a grind. Tuesday the 25th sees 6-6ft of swell, but it’s blown out by strong cross-shore winds. Wednesday the 26th morning has a cleaner 3ft with cross-offshore wind, but the energy is lower (457). Thursday the 27th morning has a brief window of clean 2ft from the east with cross-offshore winds, but it’s tiny. From Friday the 28th through to the end of the month, it’s a flat spell with poor to non-existent surf. The energy drops to under 300, and the wind is mostly cross or onshore. There’s a glassy 2ft on the morning of the 30th, but it’s barely surfable. Expect a gap of several days with nothing worthwhile.

Heading into September, there’s a flicker of hope. Wednesday the 2nd of September shows a pulse of 7ft SE swell, but it’s short period (9 seconds) and cross-on, so it’ll be lumpy and messy. That’s a lot of energy (1149), but the quality is poor. Thursday the 3rd is 5ft SSW groundswell, but again, cross-shore wind puts a chop on it. For a few days around the 4th and 5th, we get clean 4ft SSW groundswell with cross-offshore winds, and the energy is moderate (878-875). That’s actually a decent run – clean, solid waist-to-chest high waves. It’s a promising call, but it’s over a week out, so keep your fingers crossed. By the 6th and 7th, it’s back to howling onshore winds and storms, so that’s a write-off.

To be honest, if you’re a beginner, anything over 5ft is going to be challenging, and the 7ft on the 2nd is just for the experienced crew. For the rest of us, focus on Monday the 24th morning for the best clean conditions, and keep an eye on those September 4th and 5th mornings for a promising, cleaner groundswell. It’s not a classic run, but there are a few windows.

Rusty.

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