Cave Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

Honestly, it’s a pretty grim outlook for Cave Rock for the next week and a half. We’ve got a long stretch of nothing but poor surf conditions, with onshore and cross-shore winds messing things up. The energy is all over the place, but it’s not coming together for a decent wave. There’s a bit of a wait, but we do get a spike in size towards the end of the forecast period.

First up, we’ve got a solid block of no-go surf from now right through to the end of the week. From Tuesday the 8th of September right through the weekend, the wind is a problem. It’s a constant cross-shore breeze from the NE, gusting up to 22 mph, making things lumpy and choppy. Swell is small, mostly under 3 ft, with weak energy readings (around 31 to 403). The water temperature is about average for this time of year. Not a single window for a surf. You’re better off doing something else for the first week.

The second week starts to look a bit more interesting, but it’s still not easy. On Friday the 18th of September, we get a significant jump in swell. The morning shows an 8 ft swell from the SSE with a period of 9 seconds, and the combined energy is strong at 1316. The wind is light from the SE and onshore, but the report says surf is marginal. This is a big, powerful swell, but it’s going to be messy. The afternoon picks up to a 10 ft swell from the SE with a period of 9 seconds and energy climbing to 2133. That’s strong wave energy. The wind stays light, but it’s cross-onshore, so the surface won’t be clean. This is definitely for experienced surfers only, as it’s well over 8 ft. The period is under 11 seconds, so it’s a windswell, not a clean groundswell, and it’s likely to be a bit of a battle.

The real standout, if you can call it that, is Saturday the 19th of September. The swell holds at 10 ft from the ESE, with a 10-second period and energy hitting 2076 to 2144. That’s got some serious grunt. However, the wind is a killer – a strong cross-onshore breeze from the SSW at 25 mph. The forecast says poor surf conditions. This is raw, powerful, and blown out. It’s the kind of day where the setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. The conditions are just too hostile for a clean ride.

Sunday the 20th of September still has an 8 ft swell from the ESE, with a 10-second period and energy around 1300-1483, but the wind improves slightly in the afternoon to a 9 mph breeze from the South. The report says marginal surf. It’s still big, so keep it to the experts.

The last real bit of hope comes on Monday the 21st of September. The swell is 8 ft from the South, with a short 8-second period and energy over 1100. The wind finally swings around to a moderate cross-shore from the NE at 16 mph. This is still a big, messy swell, but the wind is crossing the swell rather than blowing straight onshore, so it might be slightly less choppy. It’s still marginal, and the short period (under 8 seconds) means it will be a bit crumbly and won’t hold up well. This is a session for the dedicated and experienced.

In summary, if you’ve got to get wet, the best bet on offer is the morning of Friday the 18th of September or the afternoon of Monday the 21st of September. Both are big, messy, and for experts only, but they’re the only times the energy is up and the wind isn’t fully howling. The whole first week is a write-off. Don’t expect much.

Rusty.

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