Cape Schanck Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s cookin’ at Cape Schanck over the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, but there’s a session or two worth paddling out for if you’re keen.

The main story is a lot of big, powerful SW groundswell hammering the coast, but the wind’s gonna be the real trouble. For the next week or so, it’s mostly blowin’ hard and from the wrong direction, so we’ll be chewing through a lot of chop and onshore mess before we see some glassy windows.

First up, Tuesday the 1st of September. Morning session sees a solid 6ft SW swell with a very long 16-second period, pushing combined energy of 1568 (moderate to strong energy). Winds are a stiff 28 mph from the north, cross-offshore, keeping things clean. This is a reef break for experienced surfers only, and that swell size is pushing into expert territory. The water temp is about average for the time of year.

We hit a rough patch from Wednesday the 2nd right through Saturday the 5th. Strong winds from the west and northwest make a mess of things, with waves getting blown out, lumpy, and choppy. Thursday the 3rd even sees an 12ft SW swell with 7807 combined energy, but with 19 mph cross-onshore wind, it’s a total washout. Not worth your time.

Alright, here’s the standout. Sunday the 6th of September – morning session. We’ve got a 10ft SW groundswell, long 16-second period, combined energy of 4957 (strong). The wind swings around to the NNW at a gentle 12 mph, blowing cross-offshore. That means clean, lined-up faces. It’s a big one, so only for advanced crew, but if you’ve got the skills, this is the pick of the first week.

After Sunday, the wind gets messy again, and we get a big pulse on Tuesday the 8th with 13ft SW swell at 17 seconds and 9202 combined energy (very strong), but it’s straight onshore and blown out. Kite surfers might have a field day, but for a paddle surfer, it’s a no-go.

Now, looking into the second week, things get more promising for the experienced surfer. Friday the 11th of September is your long-range target. Friday morning shows a clean 10ft SW swell with a 17-second period and 5561 combined energy (strong), with light NNW cross-offshore wind. By Friday afternoon, it gets even better: 10ft SW, 17 seconds, combined energy of 4558, with a gentle 9 mph N wind, glassy cross-offshore. The report calls it excellent conditions for experienced surfers. It's a bit far out, so keep an eye on it, but the signs are good.

The rest of the window fades into smaller, weaker swell or gets blown out again.

Bottom line: Sunday the 6th morning is your solid bet this week. Friday the 11th afternoon is the one to circle on the calendar for next week. Stay keen.

Rusty.

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