Camel Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's take a good long look at what Camel Rock has in store for us over the next couple of weeks.

The first bit of action kicks off on Tuesday, 1st September. We’re starting with a small but clean 3ft NW swell sliding in with a period of 10 seconds. The combined energy is a modest 295, so nothing too powerful, but the wind is a light cross-off from the SSE, keeping things tidy. It’s a pretty gentle introduction for the beginners out there, with water temps around 58°, which is bang on average for this time of year.

Things get a bit scrappy from Wednesday morning, 2nd September. The wind picks up to 15 mph from the SSE, still cross-off, but the wave quality drops off fast. We get a brief spike in size on Thursday, 3rd September, with 6ft to 7ft WNW swells and the combined energy jumping up to 1354 by the afternoon. That’s moderate wave energy and some bigger lines, but unfortunately the wind swings cross-on from the SSW and SW, putting a bit of a chop on the surface. For a sandbar setup, that’s not ideal.

Friday the 4th sees the swell drop back a touch to 7ft in the morning with clean offshore wind from the W, which is a genuine highlight. The energy reading of 1207 is solid. By the afternoon, the wind goes light cross-on from the NNW, and the size eases to 6ft.

After that, we enter a real quiet spell. From Saturday the 5th right through to Monday the 7th, the swell goes tiny—2ft to 3ft with some long-period SW groundswell (15 to 16 seconds). That long period is great for a point or a reef, but at a sandbar like Camel Rock, those long lines tend to close out or get a bit straight. The energy drops into the 200 to 500 range, and conditions remain marginal at best. It's a dead stretch.

There’s another bump around Wednesday, 9th September. By the afternoon, we get a glassy 6ft NW swell with a period of 8 seconds. The combined energy sits at 481, and with absolutely no wind, the surface will be like a mirror. That’s a rare treat, but the short period means the waves will be a bit more sectiony and less pushy. Still, for cleanliness, that afternoon is easily the best on offer in that first week.

Thursday the 10th serves up another glassy afternoon, with a 2ft SW groundswell reading 17 seconds. That’s a very long period, and combined with 615 energy, it’s got some serious grunt for its size. But again, at a sandbar, that long period can make it a bit tricky. It’s a beautiful day to be on the water regardless.

The real standout window arrives on Friday, 11th September. We’ve got a 5ft to 7ft NW swell with a period of 12 seconds—that’s proper groundswell. The combined energy climbs to 1337 by the afternoon, which is solid, muscular wave power. The winds are light cross-on from the NW, so it’s not absolutely perfect, but it’s damn close. This is the best swell of the entire forecast period. The size will be pushing it for beginners (over 5ft), so it's more for the intermediate and up crew.

After that peak, it slowly fades. Saturday the 12th and Sunday the 13th still offer 5ft to 4ft NW swells, but the energy drops off and the winds go more cross-on. Monday the 14th goes tiny again with long-period SW groundswell, and the final few days from the 15th see some short-period 5ft to 6ft NW swell, but with cross-shore winds making it messy.

So if you’re picking your window: the glass-off on the 9th is a gem for a clean, smaller session, but the big winner is Friday, 11th September. That’s the day with size, power, and manageable wind. Get on it.

- Rusty

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