Black Middens Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Black Middens. To be straight with you, it’s a rough stretch ahead. This spot is a sheltered reef/river/pier setup, and it’s inconsistent at the best of times. The next couple of weeks are looking pretty bleak.

We kick off on Friday, August 28th with a bit of light rain and a tiny 3ft swell pushing in from the ENE, but with a short period of only 6 seconds. The energy is weak (88), and the cross-off breeze from the NW won’t help much. The water’s sitting at 59°F, which is about average for this time of year. It’s a no-go.

The whole of the first week is a write-off. Through to the end of August and into the first week of September, we’re looking at tiny, weak swell – nothing above 2ft – and wind directions that are all wrong. On Tuesday, September 1st, we get a fresh 19 mph cross-shore breeze that’ll chop it up completely. It’s just poor surf conditions all the way.

There’s a long gap with no real hope. The next thing that even gets a look in is Saturday, September 5th. The morning shows a slight rise to 4ft from the NW, with a cross-off breeze from the NNE as light as 3 mph. The combined energy jumps to a moderate 148, so there’s a pulse there. But the rating is still a zero – it’s still tagged as poor conditions.

The only real standout in the whole 16 days comes on Wednesday, September 9th. We get a solid 10ft swell from the north, with a long period of 12 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell. The energy readings are huge – 5389 in the morning and 2322 in the afternoon – so there’s serious power. But there’s a big caveat. The wind is a moderate cross-shore breeze, lumping it up, and the forecast says it’s marginal, with a low score. This is the kind of size that is for experts only—over 8ft. A long-period groundswell like this can break straight at a beach break, but Black Middens is a reef setup, which can handle it better. Still, the quality is questionable, so it’s one to watch from the carpark.

After that, Thursday, September 10th offers a 5ft NE swell, but with a light cross-onshore wind and a marginal tag. It fades out into small, weak, onshore junk right through to the end of the period.

It’s a tough outlook for Black Middens. A blank run like this is more normal for this sheltered spot. It tends not to stay this poor forever, but this window isn’t it.

Rusty.

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