Cape Schanck Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for the Cape Schanck region over the next couple of weeks.

Overall, this is a classic story of a reef break that needs the stars to align. We’ve got some serious size coming through, especially the second week, but the wind is the enemy almost every step of the way. The water temp is sitting at 57°F, which is about par for the course this time of year, so don't expect any surprises when you're suiting up.

We kick off the period on Wednesday, September 2nd, with a solid SW groundswell. We're talking 6ft to 8ft of swell, with a long 15 to 16 second period. There's a heap of energy in the water. But the wind is a brutal cross-onshore, ripping at 15 to 22 mph. It's choppy, it's lumpy, and the surf is poor. It's just not happening.

Thursday the 3rd is even worse. The wind is howling from the west at 25 mph in the morning, and the afternoon brings a massive 12ft SW swell with a strong onshore wind. The energy is huge but the conditions are completely blown out. This is one for the kite crew, not for us.

Now, we finally get a little window Friday the 4th. The swell is still pumping at 10ft to 12ft from the SW, but the wind swings to a clean offshore from the NNW. The combined energy is very strong. This is a major positive. For the experienced guys, Cape Schanck (a reef break) is going to see some clean, big surf. The long 16-second period is perfect for a reef, with longer lulls between sets. It's a standout, but that size - over 8ft - puts it strictly in the expert zone. Crowds are possible here, so be prepared to share the peaks.

After that brief moment of glory, it all falls apart. Saturday the 5th is a write-off with a near-gale, and Sunday the 6th is back to messy cross-onshore wind. We then go through a long, frustrating stretch. From Monday the 7th right through to Monday the 14th, we are plagued by persistent onshore, cross-onshore, or just lumpy cross-shore winds. There's plenty of swell - some days we see 7ft to 12ft of SW groundswell with incredible energy - but the quality is just garbage. It's a tough look.

Eventually, it settles down. On Tuesday, September 15th, we get a morning of light offshore winds with a smaller 3ft SW swell. The energy is low, but the conditions are clean. The afternoon is even better: a light breeze, 3ft of swell, and the forecast actually mentions "good surf conditions." It's small but it will be clean. That’s your session if you've got a log.

There is a brief swell spike on Thursday, September 17th, with 8ft SW swell, but it's accompanied by a strong, messy cross-shore wind. Another one to skip.

So, the real standouts in this outlook are Friday, September 4th for the experienced crew looking for a big, clean swell at a classic reef, and Tuesday, September 15th for a small, clean day on the longboard. The rest of the period is a long, windy struggle.

Rusty.

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