Bird Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Bird Rock. We’ve got a real mixed bag coming, with some serious muscle early on, then a drop-off, and a bit of a pulse further out.

The forecast kicks off with a building South-West swell. Wednesday morning, September 2nd, starts clean enough with a 5ft SW swell and a cross-off breeze, but it’s a marginal call. The real action begins to ramp up Thursday. We see the combined energy jump from 1161 to a massive 4924 by Thursday morning, as the swell hits 10ft. The water temp here is 57°F, which is pretty much normal for this time of year. The Thursday afternoon session on September 3rd is looking wild, but it's going to be heavy. A solid 15ft SW swell with a 14-second period and 9711 combined energy. That’s a lot of water moving. The cross-off wind is forecast at 25 mph, so it’ll be clean, but at that size, this is strictly for the experts. This is a standout window for the big-wave chargers.

The wind stays offshore through Friday, September 4th, with a 8ft SW swell (16-second period) and 2558 combined energy. Gentle offshore breezes will have it looking smooth. This is the best of the bunch for the experienced surfer who wants power without it being terrifying. Keep an eye on the tide, as the data flags some concerns there.

Saturday, September 5th, the wind cranks up to 28 mph from the WNW. The swell is still around, but that kind of wind makes it near-impossible to paddle into, even if it’s offshore. That’s more of a kite-surfing show than a paddle session.

We settle down into a smaller, cleaner pattern starting Sunday, September 6th, through Monday. Waves drop to a more manageable 5ft to 5ft, still from the SW, with the energy dropping to 1006. The wind is lighter, so the surf will be clean, but the power is gone.

After a flat spell on Monday (September 7th) with poor onshore winds, a new long-period pulse arrives Tuesday, September 8th. A 5ft SW swell with a very long 18-second period and 1571 combined energy. The gentle offshore WNW wind at 15 mph will make for clean, lined-up waves. This long period means it will be breaking a bit straight on a beach break, but on a reef like Bird Rock, it’ll be pushing in with some nice shape.

The following week is a tale of two winds. We see a big jump in size again on Thursday, September 10th, with a 10ft SW swell and a massive 5267 combined energy, but the wind is onshore. That’s a messy, blown-out prospect. The run from September 11th onward drops back into small, clean, or small and messy territory. There’s a brief, cleaner window on Saturday, September 12th afternoon with a 4ft SW swell and offshore wind.

Looking further out, Wednesday, September 16th has some small surf, but the wind is up again, so it’s not worth the drive. The pattern is for small, clean itty-bitty waves or larger, messy ones.

Standout Call: The Thursday, September 3rd to Friday, September 4th window is where it’s at if you’re an expert. Friday the 4th morning with that 8ft, 16-second period SW groundswell and gentle offshore NW wind is the cleanest big-wave window. For the rest of us, Tuesday, September 8th has the best combo of clean conditions and a solid 5ft of long-period swell.

Rusty

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