Cobden Beach - The Channel Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. We’ve got a solid 16-day window ahead for Cobden Beach – The Channel, but it’s a bit of a mixed bag; the first few days are looking clean and fun, then things get wild, then we settle back into some quality again. The water is sitting at 55°F, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.

The story starts on Tuesday morning, 8 September. We’re looking at a 4ft, W swell with a 12-second period and a light ENE cross-offshore breeze. The combined energy is moderate, reading 458. It’s clean, it’s a beginner-friendly break, and the vibe is mellow. Tuesday afternoon sees a drop in size to 3ft, but the wind swings to a light cross-on, so it’s a bit more rippled. Still alright, but the morning is the pick.

Wednesday morning, 9 September, is a real standout. The swell bumps up to 5ft from the WSW, period 11 seconds, with a clean E breeze. The combined energy is 620 – still moderate but building. The sky is clear, conditions are smooth, and this is a top session for beginners and intermediates alike. The afternoon gets a little cross-on, so it’s not as clean.

Thursday morning, 10 September, we get a jump in size – 6ft, WSW, 13-second period, but the wind is a strong SW at 16 mph, cross-off. The energy jumps to 1824, which is strong. The rain is moderate, but the surf is still clean because of the offshore wind. However, it’s starting to push into the bigger range. Thursday afternoon hits 8ft, and the forecast flags it as too big for this break, so only for the experienced.

Friday, 11 September, is where it gets serious. The morning brings a 10ft, W swell with an 18-second period – that’s very long-period groundswell. The energy is massive at 5260. The wind is glassy, ESE at 3 mph. This is an expert-only day. The swell is too big for the average punter, and the long period will make it sectiony at the beach break, but for a point or reef, it’d be firing. Here at The Channel, it’s gonna be a wild show. The afternoon is similar at 8ft, still glassy, still huge.

Saturday, 12 September, is all-time big: 13ft, W swell, with strong cross-shore winds. The energy is through the roof, 6424 in the afternoon. This is not for paddling, it’s for kite surfing or just watching. The same goes for Sunday the 13th, which drops to 5ft but with a messy cross-shore and rain.

The swell drops off through Monday and Tuesday of the second week, but it’s mostly cross-on and choppy, with the energy falling to moderate levels. Wednesday the 16th sees a return of bigger swell – 7ft, W, 9 seconds – but the wind is SW at 13 mph, making it lumpy. Again, too big for this break.

Thursday the 17th is a highlight: 15ft, W swell in the morning, clean offshore ESE wind at 6 mph, energy at 4719. This is a serious, expert-only day. The afternoon drops to 12ft, still big and clean-ish.

The final standout is Wednesday, 23 September. The morning brings a 6ft, WSW swell, 16-second period, with glassy conditions and a light E breeze. The energy is 2003 – strong but manageable. The forecast says it’s excellent for experienced surfers. The afternoon drops to 5ft, still clean, and it’s a beautiful way to close out the forecast.

Overall, the best on offer is Wednesday morning, 9 September, for the everyday surfer – clean, fun, and not too big. For the experts, the standout is Thursday morning, 17 September, with that 15ft, offshore clean swell. Get on it.

Rusty.

Read more