Blacks Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty, and I’ve been staring at the charts for Blacks Beach. Honestly, this is a tricky one. The next 16 days are full of marginal conditions and a lot of “poor surf” labels, so don’t expect any magic. The water is much warmer than normal for this time of year, sitting at 75°F with a 7°F anomaly, which is very unusual.

The first real chance to paddle out comes Thursday morning, September 3rd. It’s small, with a 2ft SW swell at a juicy 15 seconds, and the wind is offshore from the WSW at 9 mph. But the combined energy is only 424–moderate–and the wave comment already calls it “poor surf conditions.” Not a standout, but it’s clean. The afternoon stays offshore from the WNW, with a little more size at 3ft and a long 18-second period, but the energy is still moderate at 613. It’s just not enough to get excited about.

Friday, September 4th, is a bit better. Morning offshore wind from the WSW at 6 mph, with 3ft SSW swell at 17 seconds (690 energy). The afternoon picks up to 4ft from the SSW at 16 seconds (790 energy), with offshore W wind at 9 mph. Still, the forecast says “marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions.” It’s paddling, but nothing to write home about.

Saturday, September 5th, brings a cross-onshore breeze and a 3ft to 4ft SSW swell. The morning has some clouds and a light WNW wind at 6 mph, so it’s only slightly choppy, but the afternoon gets messier with a 9 mph NW breeze. Not recommended.

Sunday, September 6th, is a write-off. Swell drops to 0.3ft to 2ft, and the wind is cross-onshore. Energy is weak (15-25). Don’t bother.

The standout window is Monday, September 7th, and Tuesday, September 8th. This is the best on offer. Monday morning delivers 7ft from the SSW at 14 seconds, with a solid 1500 energy (strong). The wind is cross-onshore from the WNW at 9 mph, so it’s going to be a bit choppy, but that’s a lot of juice. For Blacks Beach, this is expert territory–over 8ft would be too big for beginners, but at 7ft, it’s still a heavy paddle for experienced surfers only. The afternoon keeps the same 7ft size, period at 13 seconds, and energy at 1387. Tuesday morning holds 6ft from the SSW at 13 seconds (1172 energy), with offshore wind from the WNW. The afternoon is cross-onshore again. Despite the “marginal” label, the size and energy make this the highlight of the fortnight. The swell direction is SSW, which is not the optimum WNW for Blacks, but the long period (13-14 seconds) means it’s a groundswell that will wrap in, and it’s a point break setup, so it’ll hold shape.

After Tuesday, it fades fast. Wednesday, September 9th, drops to 4ft, then smaller. From Thursday, September 10th, through to the end of the forecast on Friday, September 18th, it’s mostly 1ft to 3ft, with long periods but low energy (220-764). The wind is often offshore or light, which is a positive, but the swell is just too tiny to get excited about. There’s a gap of poor conditions from Saturday, September 12th, onward, with only marginal or poor labels.

The pick of the fortnight is Monday, September 7th, early morning–that 7ft SSW groundswell with offshore wind is the cleanest and biggest window. Tuesday morning, September 8th, is also worth a look for the 6ft with offshore wind. But don’t expect perfection; it’s a rare, inconsistent spot to begin with, and this run is mostly a blank.

Stay hopeful, though–forecasts change. I’ll be watching.

Rusty

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