Broadway Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s on offer over the next couple of weeks. I won’t sugarcoat it.

Look, we’ve got one spot to work with—Broadway. This is an advanced level beach and jetty setup that’s fairly exposed to the swell, with the optimum swell coming from the southeast. The water’s sitting at a balmy 76°F, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, so you won’t need the thick rubber.

The bad news first: the entire 16-day window is a real struggle. There is almost nothing worth paddling out for. We’ve got days of tiny, gutless swell and nearly constant onshore or cross-onshore wind. For the first week, from Tuesday 15 September right through to Monday 21 September, it’s all poor surf conditions. Sizes are hovering around 0.9ft to 2ft, with periods all over the shop but mostly short and weak. The combined energy barely scratches 30 or 40 units. Tuesday morning on the 15th is cross-offshore with a gentle breeze, and the wave comment says "clean," but there’s no power at all—0.9ft of SE swell at 9 seconds is just a ripple. Not worth rushing.

The second half of the first week doesn’t improve. Wednesday and Thursday are all onshore winds, and Thursday afternoon brings a fresh 19 mph southerly. That’s just messy. Friday the 18th has a brief moment of NW cross-off breeze in the morning, but again, the wave height is only 0.9ft. You can’t do anything with that.

Week two starts to see a tiny pulse of energy, but the wind remains the enemy. Around Tuesday 22 September, we start to see some swell bump up to 3ft to 4ft from the east, with periods still short at 4 to 7 seconds. The energy climbs into three digits—109 and 147 units on Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning—but the wind is cross-onshore at 12 to 19 mph, so the surface is going to be choppy and lumpy. That’s not surfable, that’s a washing machine.

The best bet, and I mean the only standout in this entire outlook, comes on Friday 25 September. The morning has cross-offshore WNW wind at 22 mph—that’s a strong breeze but it’s blowing clean off the land. The swell holds at 2ft on the morning low, but the afternoon is where it gets interesting: the swell picks up to 4ft from the east, with an 8-second period, and the combined energy jumps to 252 units—that’s moderate energy and actually the strongest we see all period. The wind stays cross-off and clean. For an advanced break like Broadway, that’s the session to aim for. It’s still not massive, but the combo of clean offshore wind and that bump in size is the most promising window. Keep in mind, the swell direction is east, but the optimum is southeast, so it’s a little bit angled. Still, it’s the best of a tough run.

After that, Saturday 26 September also holds some cross-off wind and 3ft swell in the afternoon (moderate energy at 125 units), but the wind is a bit lighter. Then Sunday morning the 27th is the first time we see a wave comment that says "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions," with 3ft and cross-off ENE breeze— but the rating is a 1 out of 10, so don’t get excited.

The last few days trail off into weak, short-period dribble again.

Honestly, this is a rough outlook. If you’re a beginner, stay home—there’s nothing fun. If you’re an advanced surfer, set your alarm for that Friday afternoon window and hope the forecast holds. It’s not pumping, but it’s the only chance for something remotely decent. Remember, this is an advanced spot, and on a small day with a jetty in the mix, it can get tricky.

Rusty.

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