Castles Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it – this is a pretty flat stretch ahead. Over the next 16 days, we’ve got a long, quiet run at Castles, and it’s really just a few moments where you might scrape a wave, but nothing that’ll get the heart pumping. There’s a gap of several days with no real recommendations from the start, and the whole period is a struggle for any decent surf.

The first bit of interest creeps in on Friday, September 4th. The morning shows a light 2ft swell from the south, period of just 7 seconds – short period stuff, low energy (97). But what makes it worth a mention is the wind: a light offshore from the northwest, keeping things clean. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing wild. It’s a sandbar break (Castles), and it’s fairly consistent, so there might be a few little waves for a beginner. But the combined energy is weak, so don’t expect much push. The afternoon cleans up even more with a gentle offshore, but the swell drops to 2ft. A total glass-off on Saturday afternoon, September 5th, with a tiny 2ft swell from the NE and glassy wind – it’s pretty, but the period is only 5 seconds, so it’s just small, weak lumps.

From there, things go downhill fast. The rest of the week into the second week is a constant run of poor surf conditions. The swell stays small, mostly 1ft to 2ft, and the winds turn cross, cross-onshore, or just too strong. On Monday, September 7th, a moderate breeze from the NE kicks up a cross-chop on a 3ft swell, but it’s messy. Later in the week, around Wednesday, September 9th, the wind picks up to 19 mph with a risk of thunderstorms – that’s fresh and lumpy, not for paddling. The combined energy readings are mostly two-digit numbers, under 100, showing just how weak and unappealing it is.

The last few days, from around Friday, September 11th through to Tuesday, September 15th, see the swell stay at 1ft to 2ft, with occasional offshore or cross-off winds that keep the surface clean, but the energy is still low (41 to 55). It’s a sandbar, so it takes a bit of swell to work, and we just don’t have it. This spot is fairly consistent, so usually you’d get something, but this run is a real dud. For the crew after something more than a knee-high ripple, it’s looking more like a kite-surfing setup than a paddle session.

Best bet? The Friday morning (September 4th) and Saturday afternoon (September 5th) are the only times with clean conditions and any swell at all. But honestly, it’s marginal. Keep an eye out – forecasts can change.

Rusty.

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