Big Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's chew the fat on what's coming down the pipe.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you: it's a rough start. The forecast is showing some weak, long-period SW swell rolling in, but it's tangled up with onshore wind, and the wave quality is just not happening for the first few days. We're looking at a gap of about 5 days where there's nothing worth paddling out for. The first real chance to get wet doesn't show up until Saturday September 5th, and even then, it's marginal.

Saturday September 5th sees the beginning of something. The swell picks up a bit, but we've got a cross-on wind from the NW at 6 mph, so it's going to be a little bumpy. Wave heights are around 3 ft from the SW with a period of 16 seconds – that's proper groundswell, which is a good sign for a reef like Big Rock. The combined energy is moderate at 818, but the commentary says it's marginal. It's the best on offer so far, but it's not a standout.

Sunday September 6th is where it gets interesting. The swell jumps up to 6 ft from the SSW with a period of 14 seconds. That's a chunky size for Big Rock – definitely getting into expert territory at over 5 ft. The combined energy is strong at 1295. The catch is the cross-on wind from the NW at 6 mph, which will keep things a bit textured. This is probably the most size we'll see, but it's not going to be perfect.

The swell holds through Monday September 7th with 6 ft from the SSW, but the wind stays cross-on and choppy. It's still a solid wave for the experienced crew, with strong energy readings of 1156, but it's not clean.

By Tuesday September 8th, the swell drops back to 5 ft, and the wind shifts onshore from the WNW. The energy backs off to 853. It's a step down.

After that, the surf just fades away. From Wednesday September 9th right through to the end of the window on Friday September 18th, we're looking at tiny swell – mostly under 3 ft – with a mix of onshore and cross-on winds. The combined energy drops to weak three-digit numbers, mostly in the 200-500 range. There's a brief pulse of very long-period energy (21 seconds) on Thursday September 17th, but it's only 2 ft and cross-on, so it's a tease.

Honestly, the pick of the fortnight is going to be that Sunday September 6th through Monday September 7th window. It's the only time we get any real size. For the rest, you're better off waiting for the next front to push through.

Rusty.

Read more