Big Ben Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, with a look at the next few weeks for our local patch.

The first real surfable conditions don't show up until Wednesday the 2nd of September, with a few days of clean, small waves before the sea gets a bit lumpy. There's a real standout window on the 7th and 14th, but you've got to pick your days carefully.

The water is sitting at a warm 83°F this morning, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. The first wave of the run is a small, glassy morning on Wednesday the 2nd at Big Ben. It's a beach/jetty setup, exposed to the SE, and the swell is coming from the east at 4 ft with a 10-second period. The ENE wind is only 3 mph and glassy, meaning it'll be clean. The combined energy is moderate at 298. It's inconsistent here, so don't expect a constant wave, but for a beginner-friendly spot, this is a nice, gentle start.

That clean spell doesn't last. The wind swings onshore by Thursday the 3rd, and we get a run of messy, marginal conditions right through to the 6th. We're looking at light rain and cross-shore breezes, with swell heights around 2 ft to 4 ft and short, weak periods. There's a lot of nothing happening for a few days there.

Then we get a proper standout. Monday morning, the 7th of September, the wind goes clean and cross-off from the NNW at 6 mph. The swell jumps to 7 ft from the ENE, but with a short 7-second period. The combined energy is moderate at 481, and the conditions are reported as clean. This is the best window in the first week for a paddle. The crowd situation here is "sometimes," so you might have a few out, but it's worth it for that clean face.

The models then show a massive pulse of energy building from the 8th. By Wednesday the 9th, we're looking at a 10 ft SSE swell with a 14-second period and a huge combined energy of 4016. The wind is offshore from the NW at 12 mph, which is perfect. But honestly, for a spot like Big Ben, 10 ft is getting too big for a beginner, and by the 10th, it's pushing 20 ft, which is expert-only territory. The file says wind and tide are favorable, but the swell is just too big for this break. It's a real shame, because the conditions are there.

The energy stays high through the 11th, but with strong cross-onshore winds making it lumpy and poor. Things settle down again by the 14th of September. Monday morning the 14th looks promising: a 7 ft SE swell with a 9-second period, combined energy of 964, and clean cross-off winds from the NNE at 6 mph. The scores suggest this is a very good option. But again, the swell is heading up again after that, with the 15th showing an 12 ft SSE swell, which is back to being too big for the break.

So, to sum it up: the best of the run is the clean, glassy morning on the 7th of September for the moderate swell, and the promising, clean conditions on the 14th. The massive swells in between are a spectacle, but not for paddling out here.

Rusty.

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