Big Ben Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming our way at Big Ben over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, the start is pretty grim, I gotta tell ya. There’s nothing really worth paddling out for from Friday the 21st through Saturday the 22nd. The swell is tiny—around 2ft to 3ft—with short period junk and cross-shore winds just chopping everything up. You’d be fighting a losing battle out there. Honestly, it’s flat and messy, and you’re better off doing something else.

Sunday the 23rd offers a little glimmer. The morning session looks clean with a light cross-off breeze from the north-northeast, and we’ll have some 3ft swell from the east at 10 seconds. The combined swell energy is weak (206), but at least you won’t be battling chop. It’s not going to be epic, but it’s the first real chance to get wet without hating life.

Now, Monday the 24th is where it gets interesting. Monday morning is a standout. The water temp is a warm 80°, which is right about average for this time of year—nothing unusual there. We get a beautiful glassy morning with an east-southeast breeze, and a solid 5ft groundswell from the south-southeast with a very long period of 18 seconds. That means real grunt, proper shaped waves, and long lulls between sets. The combined swell energy is strong (2225). This is perfect for experienced surfers—beginners might find the power and size a bit much. Expect crowds to be possible here. It’s a beach and jetty setup, and that long period will be better for the jetty to keep the lines from breaking too straight.

Monday afternoon sees the wind shift onshore and the swell jumps to 8ft, but it gets chopped up and the quality drops. Tuesday the 25th through Wednesday the 27th is a period of onshore slop. Swell stays in the 4ft to 8ft range but it’s cross-on and choppy to messy. Not your friend.

We hit another dry spell from Thursday the 27th afternoon through the end of August, with mostly poor surf and weak, short-period swell. Only Saturday the 29th afternoon shows a brief window of clean conditions with a light cross-off breeze and 3ft swell, but it’s underwhelming.

The first week of September starts to rumble. Thursday the 3rd has a big increase in swell—8ft to 8ft from the east-southeast with a very long 16-second period. The combined energy jumps to massive numbers (4517 to 5372). Wind is light, but it’s cross-on. This is solid, powerful groundswell, but the shape might be a bit wonky with the wind angle. Still, for experienced surfers, it’s worth a look.

Friday the 4th of September, though—that’s the real monster. Swell is pumping 15ft from the east at 14 seconds by the morning, with a light cross breeze. The combined energy is enormous (8951). But I have to warn you: this is too big for this break. It’s predicted to be too much for Big Ben, so really only for absolute experts, if anyone at all. The afternoon drops to 12ft, still huge. After that, it tapers off through the 5th and 6th, with cleaner cross-off winds but still big, solid swell around 8ft.

Overall, the standout is Monday morning the 24th—clean, glassy, strong groundswell, perfect for those who know what they’re doing. The deep water runner is Friday the 4th of September, but only for the brave. There are long gaps of flatness and junk, so don’t hold your breath mid-week.

Stay salty,
Rusty

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