Cactus Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let me tell you about the upcoming surf at Cactus.

We’ve got a bit of a mixed bag coming down the line here, but there are a couple of sessions that are gonna make it all worth it. The coming days start off with some pretty serious swell, but the wind is a real problem early on.

Wednesday the 16th is a write-off for me. We’re looking at a solid 6ft swell from the southwest, but that 30 km/h cross-off wind from the east-southeast just kills it. The ocean’s got a heap of energy, but it’s messy. Not worth paddling out.

Thursday the 17th is where we get our first real look. The morning is the standout here. The swell drops a touch to 5ft, still from the southwest, but the wind swings to a light offshore from the northeast at 20 km/h. That’s clean, lined-up surf. The 14-second period gives it some push. This is a proper intermediate wave. It won’t be too crowded as it’s only *sometimes* busy, so you should be able to find a few peaks to yourself. This is one of the true highlights of the window.

After that, we hit a dry spell. From Friday the 18th right through the weekend and into Monday the 21st, the swell just drops away to nothing. We’re talking knee-high slop with onshore and cross-shore winds. Don’t bother. That’s a four-day gap with nothing to recommend.

Monday the 21st morning offers a little glimmer. A pulse of 4ft southwest swell with a light east cross-off wind gives us some clean, fun waves, but it’s not big enough to get too excited about.

The next real standout comes on Tuesday the 22nd. The morning session sees the swell jump back up to 5ft from the southwest, with a 15-second period and a gentle east cross-off breeze. The conditions will be clean. This is a quality wave, though it’s reported as a bit marginal on the tide, so pick your time.

We get another lull until Friday the 25th morning. A clean 3ft southwest groundswell with a light offshore from the east-northeast. Small but perfectly clean. A nice morning session for a log or a fish.

Now, the last week of the month is where the real interest lies. Saturday the 26th is a no-go for paddle surfing. We’ve got a huge, long-period groundswell (21 seconds!) pushing in at 4ft in the morning, but the wind is a messy 35 km/h cross-shore. That energy level is massive, but on a beach setup with that wind, it’s actually more of a kite-surfing day.

The same goes for Sunday the 27th – 7ft onshore slop. Leave it.

But then… Monday the 28th. The swell is pumping at 7ft from the southwest with a 14-second period, and the energy is through the roof. The wind is moderate cross-shore, making it a bit lumpy. This is strictly for experts. If you’ve got the skills, you’ll find some freight trains.

The absolute best of the whole forecast is the final two days. Tuesday the 30th of September and Wednesday the 1st of October are the pinnacle. On the 30th, we’ve got a 6ft southwest groundswell with a 18-second period and a glassy light east-southeast cross-off wind. The forecast says it’s excellent for experienced surfers. Then on Wednesday the 1st of October, it’s holding at 5ft from the southwest with a 17-second period, clean with a gentle east cross-off. This is the stuff dreams are made of. A long period swell like that (over 15 seconds) will really stand up and barrel on a reef like Cactus. If you can, plan to be in the water for that last week.

-Rusty

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