Castles Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s break down the next 16 days for Castles. This is a consistent reef break that’s wide open to the swell and works best when it’s coming from the WSW. The water is sitting at 61°, which is pretty normal for this time of year.

We get going Sunday morning, the 6th of September. There’s a solid 6ft SW groundswell pushing in with a long 14-second period and a massive combined energy of 1343, so there’s plenty of grunt. The wind is light NE offshore, keeping it glassy. This is proper excellent surf, but at 6ft with that much power, it’s really for experienced surfers. The long period will give the waves good shape, but it might break a little straight on the reef, so pick your spot.

That Sunday afternoon the wind swings SE and picks up to 15 mph, making it cross-offshore. The swell drops to 6ft but still has good energy (1202). It’s still clean, but the tide might mess with it.

Monday the 7th is a dud in the morning – 3ft and messy with strong ESE winds. The afternoon gets a little better with 4ft SSW, but it’s only marginal.

Tuesday the 8th has a nice 5ft SW groundswell with a very long 17-second period (energy 1519), but the wind is cross-offshore from the SE. It’s clean, but that long period will make it fat and straight on the reef. Not the best.

Wednesday the 9th has size – 6ft SW with a 17 to 18-second period and energy through the roof (1978 to 2244), but the wind is howling ESE at 25 mph in the morning and 22 mph in the afternoon. It’s cross-offshore, but that’s a lot of wind. For paddle surfing, it’s a battle. This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Thursday the 10th is a bit better with a clean 6ft SW swell and a fresh offshore E wind at 19 mph in the morning. Still big and powerful (1728 energy), but at least it’s offshore. The afternoon drops to 6ft with cross-off wind.

Friday the 11th sees the swell easing to 4ft and 4ft, with cleaner NE winds. Energy drops to 707 and 581, so it’s weaker. Still clean, but nothing to write home about.

Saturday the 12th and Sunday the 13th are terrible – small, messy, and crummy wind. The swell drops to 2ft to 3ft, and the wind is onshore or cross-shore. A couple of days to skip.

Monday the 14th is also a washout with 3ft swell and cross-shore winds.

Now, the standout. Tuesday the 15th of September. The morning has a solid 6ft SW groundswell with a 16-second period and very strong energy (1787), but the wind is cross-offshore from the NNE at 15 mph. The afternoon is the real gem – 6ft SW swell, 15-second period, and the wind drops to just 3 mph from the NNE, making it almost glassy. This is stacked for experienced surfers. Clean, powerful, and a proper session if you’re up for it.

Wednesday the 16th is a drop-off – 4ft and 2ft with cross-shore wind.

Thursday the 17th picks up a little with 4ft SW and a clean offshore ENE wind at 15 mph in the morning. Energy is 728, so it’s fun but not huge.

Then we hit a rough patch. Friday the 18th through to Sunday the 20th is mostly onshore, crummy, or cross-on wind. The swell gets big again – 7ft to 8ft – but the wind is onshore or cross-onshore, making it a messy, lumpy, no-go zone. Not for paddle surfing.

Blinder of a finish. Monday the 21st of September. A massive 10ft SW groundswell with a very long 18-second period and energy of 4835 – that’s a serious ocean. The wind is offshore from the NNE at 12 mph in the morning, keeping it clean. This is only for experts. The afternoon holds the same size but the wind goes cross-shore from the NNW at 9 mph, so still rideable but a bit lumpy. If you’re an experienced surfer, this is the one to circle.

Overall, the best on offer is Tuesday the 15th afternoon for the glassy, clean conditions, and Monday the 21st morning for the ultimate big-swell, clean-offshore session. Crowds are possible at Castles, so keep an eye out.

Rusty.

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