Campbells Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. This is a tricky one for September. The only break that’s even showing up on the radar here is Campbells, and it’s not exactly firing. There’s a rough start to the run, and we’re looking at a long wait before anything decent gets going.

First few days – a write-off, honestly. September 7 kicks off with a risk of thunderstorms and a nasty 28 mph cross-off wind, with 8 ft of messy swell that’s got some serious grunt behind it (combined energy of 4401, which is strong) but the conditions are just poor. Not worth paddling out. The next day, Tuesday the 8th, still has size but the wind is onshore and it’s just messy.

A gap of quiet, small waves comes in from Wednesday the 9th. The swell drops right down to 3 ft, and while Wednesday afternoon looks glassy and clean, the energy is way down (296). It’s marginal. Thursday and Friday stay small, with 2 ft of long-period SSW/SW groundswell. Wave periods of 16-18 seconds mean the sets will be well-spaced and the shape could be nice at this reef setup, but the size is tiny. Wind is cross-off and clean, so if you just want to get wet on a longboard, you could.

But the real standout… You’re gonna wanna circle Tuesday, September 15. Swell bumps up to 3 ft from the SW with a lovely 20-second period – that’s very long period groundswell, and for a reef like Campbells that can mean some proper lines. The combined energy hits 598 (moderate, on the way up), and the wind is a gentle cross-off from the east at 9 mph, keeping things clean. This is the best window of the whole forecast. Wednesday the 16th also has similar size, but with cross-shore breezes and a bit of chop, it’s not as good.

Second week holds some promise, especially the weekend. September 19 (Saturday) and 20 (Sunday) show clean 3 ft to 3 ft SSW swells with light winds, though the periods drop to 14-16 seconds. Still good, clean surf, especially Saturday morning when conditions are very favorable.

Water temp is 81°F, which is about 0.5° off normal – feels normal for this time of year, no wetsuit needed.

Crowds at Campbells are often, so keep an eye out, but for a reef break that’s *inconsistent*, it might not get too packed when it’s small. Still, where there’s clean, glassy conditions, you can bet the locals will show.

So, overall: a rough start, a quiet middle, but the 15th and the weekend of the 19th-20th are your best bets. Don’t bother before the 15th unless you just want to float around.

Rusty.

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