Blacks Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it. We’ve got one spot on the radar for the next 16 days, and it’s a bit of a mixed bag – a real feast-or-famine situation.

The window kicks off with a bang on Wednesday, September 2nd. We’re looking at a solid 8 ft to 8 ft south swell, with a very long period of 14 to 17 seconds. That’s proper groundswell. The energy is huge – we’re talking 3076 to 4137 – so there’s some serious power in the water. The wind is light and cross-offshore, making for clean, lined-up waves. This is excellent, but it’s for experienced surfers only. The water is sitting at 55°, which is a bit colder than what we’d normally expect for this time of year. The swell direction is straight out of the south, which is the optimum for Blacks Reef. This is a standout session, but only for the crew who know what they’re doing.

Thursday the 3rd sees a drop in size to 6 ft in the morning, still with a good 13-second period. The energy is still moderate (1077). The wind stays light and cross-off, so conditions remain clean. This is a solid option for the more experienced surfer, but the quality is a notch down from Wednesday.

By Friday the 4th, the swell fades fast. We’re down to 3 ft, and the energy drops to 155. The wind picks up, making for poor conditions. This is a write-off for the weekend. Saturday and Sunday are looking flat and messy, with weak, short-period chop. You’re not missing anything.

The first week of September is a bit of a gap for decent surf. We’ve got a few weak, small swells that are surfable but very ordinary. The energy is low, under 200. Nothing to get excited about.

Then we hit a major red flag. Around Monday, September 14th, the swell starts to jack up. By Tuesday the 15th, we’re looking at 13 ft to 15 ft of south swell, with a period of 12 seconds. The energy is massive – 4203 to 6087. Wednesday the 16th looks even bigger, with 16 ft and energy hitting 7071. This is colossal. The wind is light and offshore, which would be perfect, but the swell is simply too big for this break. It’s a call for experts only, and even then, it’s likely to be a washing machine. This is a big, powerful, dangerous swell.

The final days of the forecast, September 17th, drop back to 8 ft to 10 ft, but the wind shifts to a cross-onshore, making for choppy, less appealing conditions.

The standout is hands-down Wednesday, September 2nd. That 8 ft, 17-second south groundswell with light cross-offshore winds is a gift from the ocean for those who can handle it. The other potential highlight is the massive swell mid-month, but it’s a beast that’s too big for this reef. Crowds are likely at Blacks Reef, especially on the good days.

Rusty.

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