Clifton Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab your board. This is Rusty, and I’m lookin’ at the next couple of weeks for Clifton Beach. Let’s cut through the noise and talk about when to paddle out.

The first week is a bit of a mixed bag, with some small windows of clean surf, but honestly, nothing to get too fired up about just yet. The real standout, the one you wanna circle on the calendar, is Friday afternoon on the 4th of September. We’ve got a solid 5 ft SSW groundswell rolling in, with a long period of 17 seconds, and the wind is a light northwesterly breeze. That’s a cross-off wind, which is really good news for this spot. The combined wave energy is strong at 1282, and the conditions are expected to be very good. This is the best on offer, no question.

Prior to that, Wednesday morning and afternoon on the 2nd have some marginal surf with 3 ft to 4 ft SSW swell, but the cross-off wind keeps it rideable. Thursday the 3rd is a write-off for surfing – strong winds and messy conditions. The swell is up to 5 ft on Friday morning the 4th, but it’s still a bit marginal before the wind drops in the afternoon.

The weekend after that is pretty average. Saturday the 5th has some size but with strong cross-shore wind, it’s choppy. Sunday the 6th has a glassy morning with a small 3 ft short-period S swell, but it’s nothing special.

Looking further out, the second week is a bit of a gamble. The weather models are less certain, but Monday the 8th of September has a small window in the afternoon. There’s a 2 ft SSW swell with glassy conditions and a clean 17-second period swell. The energy is moderate (321). It’s a small wave, but it might be worth a look if you’re desperate. Tuesday the 9th is a complete no-go: strong onshore winds and a big 7 ft swell that’s just blown out – that’s expert-only territory and only if you’re a glutton for punishment.

The water temperature is sitting at 54°F, which is about normal for this time of year, so you’ll want a good wetsuit.

For the rest of the week, the forecast is mostly poor surf conditions or marginal at best. There’s a brief moment on Sunday the 13th of September with light offshore wind and a 3 ft SSW swell, but it’s not a standout. The combined energy across the whole period is mostly weak to moderate (between 28 and 1282), with a few strong pulses on the 4th and 9th, but the wind ruins those.

Stay patient, and keep the 4th of September afternoon free. That’s your session.

Rusty.

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