Coastguard Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the table for the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, I’m looking at a pretty grim stretch of days ahead. We’re starting from now and there’s nothing worth paddling out for. The surf is tiny, the energy is weak, and the conditions are just not cooperating. We’ve got a run of several days where it’s basically flat or offering only poor surf, so you’re looking at a gap right through to around the 21st of September before anything even starts to register on the scale.

Coastguard Beach is the only game in town, and it’s a beginner-friendly, exposed beach break that ideally wants swell from the SE. For the first week and a half, the swell heights are mostly under 1 ft, the combined energy is pathetic – readings like 4, 13, or 39 (weak energy) – and the winds are all over the place. We do get a few glassy or clean moments, like Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, but with only 0.7 ft to 1.0 ft of swell and periods around 6 seconds, it’s just not surfable. There’s no push, no power. It’s a tough watch.

Then, around Monday the 21st of September, things start to lift. The swell comes up to 3 ft and then 4 ft from the ENE, and the combined energy climbs into moderate territory – 65 and 88. But it’s cross-shore wind, and the conditions are still described as poor. The period is short, around 5-6 seconds, so it’s going to be bumpy and weak. Not the kind of day you’d drive for.

Now, here’s the only real glimmer in the whole forecast. On Tuesday the 22nd of September, we see a jump. The afternoon brings a 6 ft swell from the east, with an 8-second period. The combined energy rockets up to 622 (strong wave energy). That’s a lot of water moving. The wind is a light cross-onshore, so it’ll be a bit choppy, and with that size it’s getting into the zone for experienced surfers only. It’s too big for a beginner, that’s for sure. Wednesday the 23rd holds onto a solid 4 ft east swell with a 10-second period, and the energy is still strong, around 279-284. But the wind is onshore both days, so the quality will be pretty average. It’s a beach break, and with a long-period groundswell like that, it might be breaking a bit too straight and fat, making it a challenge to get a good one.

The standout in this whole sorry outlook is that Tuesday afternoon window. It’s the biggest swell, with the most energy, but you’ll have to live with the onshore wind messing it up. For a real surfer, it’s worth a look if you’re desperate, but it’s not going to be a classic. The rest of the period after that tails off back into smaller, weaker waves and strong winds again.

Forget about the crowds here – when the surf’s this poor, it’ll be empty, and rightly so. With that 6 ft swell and onshore wind at a beach break, honestly, it looks more like a session for the kite surfers than us paddle guys.

Stay tuned, but don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

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