Cactus Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s cut through the noise and get into the only show in town for this stretch.

We’ve got one solitary spot on the radar for the next 16 days: Cactus. It’s a reef break, and it’s exposed to the southwest swell. The water temp is sitting at 60°F, which is about what you’d expect for this time of year – nothing wild there.

The first few days are a write-off. Saturday the 5th of September is a total mess with onshore winds and poor surf, so don’t even bother. The weekend is a washout.

Things start to get interesting come Sunday morning, the 6th of September. We’ve got a solid 6ft SW groundswell rolling in with a 14-second period, and the wind is light offshore from the NE. That’s clean conditions, and the combined energy is pumping at 1343. This is your best bet for the whole outlook – it’s excellent for experienced surfers, but that 6ft reef setup will be a handful for beginners. The Sunday afternoon session gets a bit bumpy with a cross-offshore wind and a touch smaller.

Monday the 7th is a drop-off, but Tuesday the 8th brings a real standout. The morning session shows a 5ft SW swell, but the period jumps to a very long 17 seconds. That’s proper groundswell energy, and with a clean cross-offshore breeze, it’ll be beautiful. The energy is 1519, so there’s plenty of push. This is a reef break, so that long period will wrap in nicely, giving you some proper lines. Just know it’s still a solid 5ft, so it’s not for the faint-hearted.

Wednesday the 9th sees the swell building to 8ft, but the wind gets strong and bumpy, making it a messy, expert-only affair. That’s a big, powerful swell with a 3522 energy reading, but the conditions won’t do it justice.

Thursday the 10th cleans up with a fresh offshore wind from the east, but the swell levels off around 7ft. It’s still a big, powerful groundswell, but the wind is your friend. It’s a good option for the experienced crew, but the crowds are possible here, so be ready to share.

From Friday the 11th, the energy drops off hard. We’re looking at a long stretch of small, messy, or wind-affected days. The 12th, 13th, 14th, and 15th are all poor with either onshore winds or strong, messy cross-shore conditions. There’s a brief window on the 16th of September with a clean 6ft SW swell, but it’s a marginal call.

The very tail end of the window, Friday the 18th of September, sees a nice little pulse. The swell is a manageable 3ft to 4ft with a 16-second period. The wind is light and offshore, giving you clean, fun waves. It’s not the size of the 6th or 8th, but it’s a solid, consistent option for a wider range of surfers.

The 20th of September finishes things off with a 5ft SW groundswell, but the wind swings onshore and the chop ruins it.

The standout pick for the whole outlook is Sunday morning, the 6th of September. The 6ft SW groundswell, a 14-second period, and that light offshore wind from the NE will have Cactus absolutely cranking. It’s the cleanest, most powerful option on offer. The Tuesday the 8th morning session is a close second for the sheer grunt of that 17-second period.

Stay salty,
Rusty

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