Brighton Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it.

Well, it’s a quiet start, that’s for sure. We’re looking at a long stretch of small, weak surf through the whole 16-day window. The first real recommendation doesn’t even pop up until Thursday the 17th of September, and even then, it’s not much to write home about. From now until then, it’s all knee-high or smaller mush, with choppy onshore winds and weak energy readings. It’s a real lull.

Let’s break it down day by day.

Monday 14th and Tuesday 15th September – Forget it. Brighton is looking at tiny, messy swell from the WSW, with cross-onshore winds making it bumpy. Swell heights are between 2 ft and 3 ft, periods are short (4 to 5 seconds), and the combined energy is low, in the 10 to 30 range. Water temp is 67°F, which is much warmer than usual for this time of year, but that’s the only highlight.

Wednesday 16th September – A slight improvement. We get some NW winds, so it cleans up nicely, but the swell is still tiny. Wednesday morning has 2 ft from the W with a 5-second period and a combined energy of just 31. Wednesday afternoon drops even smaller, 1 ft from the WSW, though the period stretches to 8 seconds and the wind stays clean. Still, there’s not enough juice to get excited about.

Thursday 17th September – This is the standout, for what it’s worth. The morning is a write-off with 35 km/h WSW cross-winds and a bumpy 3 ft. But the afternoon brings a jump in energy. We get a 6 ft swell from the SW with a 6-second period, and the combined energy hits 237 (moderate). That’s the biggest pulse of the whole forecast. But here’s the catch: the wind is a fresh cross-wind at 30 km/h, and there’s light rain. It’ll be lumpy and challenging. This is only for experienced surfers, if anyone bothers. Brighton is a beach/pier setup, so the cross-wind will chop it up.

Friday 19th September to Monday 22nd September – The swell fades fast. Friday morning is clean with a light NW breeze, but the swell is just 3 ft and weak (combined energy 56). The rest of the weekend and Monday sees the swell drop to 1 ft and smaller, with periods all over the place. The wind stays light or onshore, and the energy is negligible.

Tuesday 23rd September through to the end (Sunday 28th September) – This is a proper dead zone. Swell heights barely reach 1 ft on the 26th, and most days are 0.3 ft. Periods are long (8 to 13 seconds) but there’s no height to push it. The combined energy readings are in the single digits, often below 10. Winds are light, and the cleanest days come from the NE and ENE, but there’s simply no surf to ride. It’s a flat spell.

Final word: The best wave of the window is Thursday afternoon the 17th, but it’s far from perfect. The wind is messy, the period is short, and the energy is only moderate. Everything else is tiny or flat. If you’re desperate for a paddle, you might get a few weak ones on Wednesday morning the 16th, but honestly, this is a stretch best spent on other things. Forecasts can change, but right now it’s looking like a long dry spell.

Rusty.

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