Coogee Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. The next couple of days are pretty flat and messy, so don’t rush out. But hang tight, because there’s a proper pulse of southerly groundswell building mid-week that’ll wake things up, even if it gets a bit wild.

Monday, September 14: Coogee is small and junky. There’s a weak 2ft southerly bump with an 11-second period, but a light northerly breeze is putting a cross-shore ripple on it. The water’s sitting at 63°, which is about normal for this time of year. Honestly, not worth a paddle unless you’re desperate for a grovel.

Tuesday, September 15: The swell drops even more, down to 2ft, but the period crashes to 7 seconds. That’s just wind chop, and the southerly breeze isn't helping. Combine that with a weak energy reading (67), and you’re looking at a completely flat, bumpy ocean. Give it a miss.

There’s a dry spell of a couple of days here – nothing surfable on offer.

Wednesday, September 16: Now we’re talking. A solid south pulse fills in overnight, pushing 10ft with a 10-second period. The energy jumps right up to 1920 – that’s strong, powerful stuff. The early morning has a cross-offshore south-southwest wind at 22 mph, so it’s going to be raw and clean-looking, but big. This is advanced-level surf only – well overhead and pushing hard. The afternoon gets messier as the wind swings southerly and strengthens to 25 mph, so the window is the early session. It’s powerful, but be ready for a fight.

Thursday, September 17: Still a big, strong south swell, holding around 10ft early with a moderate south-southwest cross-offshore breeze. The energy is right up there at 2590 – this is serious water moving through. It remains a heavy, expert-only day, especially as the morning sees the best conditions. By the afternoon, the swell eases back to 6-7ft and the wind goes onshore from the east-southeast, so expect it to get lumpy and difficult.

Friday, September 18: This is the standout. The swell has dropped to a much more manageable 4-5ft, still from the south-southeast with a 9-second period. The morning is glassy – a light north-northwest cross-offshore breeze, almost no wind at all. It’s clean, and the energy (360) is moderate but fun. This is the pick of the week for Coogee, especially for anyone who wants decent waves without the mayhem. The afternoon gets blown out by a 15 mph north-east cross-onshore, so make the most of the morning.

Saturday, September 19: The swell fades quickly. Only 2ft with a gentle west-northwest cross-offshore breeze in the morning makes for a clean but tiny, weak session. The energy is down to 122. Marginal at best. The afternoon turns onshore and it’s basically done.

Sunday, September 20 through Tuesday, September 22: There’s a real lull here. Tiny, weak swells (1ft to 4-5ft) but all with poor, cross-onshore winds. There’s a pulse on the 22nd with a long 11-second southerly swell, but the north-east wind chops it all up. It’s a solid block of nothing for a few days.

Wednesday, September 23 through Friday, September 25: The surf stays poor. There’s a mix of short-period, wind-blown slop from the east-northeast, with wave heights around 3-5ft, but all of it is crossed up by persistent north-east winds. The period drops to 6-7 seconds, which is just messy. The energy readings are moderate (up into the 400s), but the quality is zero. It’s not worth your time.

Saturday, September 26 through Monday, September 28: The wind goes back to the south and picks up, but it’s still onshore and messy. The swell is a mix of short-period easterly junk, and the energy is moderate at best. Conditions are poor, with fresh cross-shore winds adding to the chop. There’s nothing here to get excited about.

Tuesday, September 29: The pattern continues – a cloudy day, a moderate south-east cross-onshore wind, and a weak, short-period easterly swell. The energy readings are low and the surf is poor. This is the end of the forecast window, and it’s not going out with a bang.

So, to sum it up: the standout window is Thursday morning (September 17) for the big, powerful stuff and Friday morning (September 18) for the clean, fun waves. Everything else is either too small, too messy, or too windy. Coogee is a fickle spot, and this run really shows that side of it. But when that south swell lines up right, it’s a different place.

Keep an eye on that Friday morning session – that’s your best bet.

Rusty.

Read more