Cherry Hill Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what Cherry Hill’s got cooking over the next couple of weeks. I’ll be straight with you – it’s a slow start and a long run of so-so conditions, but there are a couple of moments that might just be worth a paddle out.

Right now, the water’s sitting at a very warm 76°, which is over 7° above the norm for this time of year – that’s seriously unusual, so you’ll be surfing in boardies for sure.

The first real chance to wet a line comes Friday, August 28th. The morning is your best bet of the whole outlook. You’ve got a clean 2ft SW swell with a very long 16 second period and a light WSW offshore breeze around 6 mph. The combined wave energy is moderate (437), and that offshore wind will keep it glassy. It’s a beginner-friendly wave size, but the long period groundswell means it’ll be better formed with longer lulls – perfect for Cherry Hill’s exposed W-facing setup. Crowds are possible here, so don’t expect it to be empty. The afternoon holds slightly bigger at 3ft from the SSW with a 19-second period, still with light offshore wind – it’s another tidy window.

Saturday the 29th sees the swell bump up to 4-4ft from the SSW, period steady around 16 seconds. The wind shifts to a gentle cross-onshore in the afternoon though, so the morning is cleaner. Wave energy climbs into the strong range (962 on Saturday afternoon), but that cross-onshore breeze will put a bit of chop on it. Not bad, but not as clean as Friday.

Sunday the 30th through to Thursday, September 3rd is a stretch of marginal surf. Swell hangs around 3-4ft but the wind is mostly cross-onshore, sometimes light offshore. Scores are low, and the wave comment says “marginal” at best. It’s a gap of several days where it’s hard to get excited.

Now, here’s a standout further out. On Friday, September 4th, the morning session looks promising. You’ve got a 3ft SSW swell with a very long 17-second period, light offshore wind from the W at 6 mph, and a solid 919 wave energy (moderate to strong). That’s a nice clean groundswell with good shape. It’s still beginner-friendly height, but the long period might make it a bit more lined up on the sets. Crowds are possible. The afternoon gets messier with a cross-onshore breeze.

September 5th (Saturday) morning still shows 4ft SSW swell at 16 seconds, but the wind is cross-onshore, so it won’t be as clean. After that, from September 6th through the 12th, it’s a long run of marginal to poor conditions. Swells drop to 2-3ft, winds stay cross-onshore or even fresh cross-shore on the 7th, and the scores are mostly zeros. Not much to chase.

The last slight glimmer is on Thursday, September 10th morning – 4ft SSW swell at 12 seconds, light cross-onshore breeze. Wave energy is moderate (756). It’s okay, but nothing special.

Verdict: If you’re looking for the best of a quiet period, Friday morning, August 28th is your pick – clean, glassy, long-period groundswell and small enough for anyone. Friday morning, September 4th is the other standout: similar setup but a week out, so a little less certain. The rest of the weeks are mostly a write-off for quality surf. For the stronger, cross-onshore days with a beach setup, this might look more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Stay patient, and keep an eye on those forecasts.

– Rusty

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