Castles Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what we’ve got coming up over the next couple of weeks at Castles.

First thing I gotta say – it’s a slow start. There’s really nothing worth paddling out for until we get deep into the forecast. The first week is mostly a write-off, with a whole lot of small, junky waves and winds all over the shop. You’ll see a bit of knee-high slop on Sunday morning the 13th, but the wind is cross-off and the swell is short-period at 6 seconds from the SSE – not exactly gonna get the heart racing. The combined energy is weak (88), and conditions are clean but the waves are just too ordinary.

After that, it gets worse. Monday the 14th sees clean conditions but tiny 1ft to 2ft swell, and the wind picks up strong from the north. Tuesday through to the end of that week is a real mess – cross-shore and onshore winds, lumpy chop, and the swell is either small or coming from the wrong direction. The energy levels stay low to moderate, but the quality is just not there. Honestly, it’s more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle-surfing one for much of that time, especially with those moderate to fresh cross-shore winds.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. If you’re patient – and I mean really patient – things start to change around the 22nd of September. The swell builds, and by Wednesday morning the 23rd, we’ve got a solid 7ft of easterly swell rolling in. The period is up to 10 seconds, and combined energy hits 784 (moderate to strong). The wind is cross-off from the north-northeast, which will keep things relatively clean. This is definitely the standout window, but keep in mind, it’s still a week and a half away, so treat it as promising but not locked in yet.

Thursday the 24th morning also looks decent – 5ft from the east, 11-second period, clean cross-off wind, and strong energy (632). This could be the better session if the swell drops off a touch and the conditions line up.

The main break here is Castles – a sandbar setup that’s fairly consistent and beginner-friendly. It’s fairly exposed to the swell, and with the optimum direction being SE, we’re not quite getting that perfect alignment with the easterly pulses, but it’ll still wrap in. Water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing unusual to report.

Crowds can show up sometimes at Castles, so if you score it on that Wednesday or Thursday morning, expect a few others with the same idea.

After that, the last few days of September fade back into smaller, wind-affected conditions, so the window is tight.

Bottom line: the first week is a dud. Don’t bother. The second week has potential around the 23rd and 24th – that’s your best bet. Keep an eye on it.

Rusty.

Read more