Crab Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Hey, Rusty here. Let’s talk about Crab Island.

Right, straight off – the outlook’s flat-out poor for the next two and a half weeks. No standout sessions, no real windows to get excited about. The first record lands on Saturday, September 12, and it’s pretty much all downhill from there right through to the end of the month.

The water at Crab Island is sitting at 66°, which is about 6° warmer than normal for this time of year – that’s very unusual.

Saturday the 12th is a mess: 5ft swell from the WSW with a short, weak 6-second period and a strong cross-onshore wind at 22 mph. Combined energy is moderate at 174, but the wind’s tearing it apart – lumpy, messy, not worth paddling out. Saturday afternoon goes to 6ft and 25 mph winds, even worse (316 energy).

Sunday the 13th morning shows a light cross-shore wind from the W at 6 mph, swell at 4ft from the WSW (7 seconds). Energy is moderate (203), but it’s only marginal because of tide or something, and the cross-shore isn’t helping. Not a recommended session.

Monday the 14th has a small pulse, 4ft and 9 seconds, but cross-onshore wind and messy conditions keep it poor. Tuesday the 15th brings a cross-off wind from the NW at 12–16 mph, cleaning the surface, but the swell is weak – around 4–4ft with short periods (6–7 seconds). Energy is moderate (152–137), but the waves just don’t have any push or shape. It’s clean but gutless. That pattern of clean-but-small continues through Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday – nothing above 5ft, periods in the 6 to 8-second range, and energy dropping from 193 down to 60. Just not worth it.

Saturday the 19th morning turns ugly again with 5ft and fresh cross-onshore wind at 22 mph (213 energy), lumpy and poor. Saturday afternoon is clean again but tiny at 4ft.

Sunday the 20th is a real kicker – afternoon brings a 10ft pulse from the WSW with an 8-second period and 974 energy. That’s a strong, powerful swell, but the wind is cross-onshore at 22 mph. It’s going to be a messy, lumpy, dangerous mess – only for experts, and even then, not pleasant. At a reef break like this, that size with that wind is more of a kitesurfing scene than a paddle session.

From Monday the 21st onward, it’s all downhill – swell drops to 3ft and below, periods lengthen slightly (8–9 seconds), but winds stay cross or cross-on, and the energy drops below 100. By mid-week you’re looking at 1.0–1ft waves, periods around 7–11 seconds, and no real energy to speak of. The last few days into Sunday the 27th show a tiny 0.3ft swell with a long 17-second period and fresh cross-onshore wind – completely useless.

Honestly, there’s nothing to recommend here across the entire 16-day window. It’s a blank run. Crab Island is fairly consistent on a good year, so this stretch is a bit of a dud, but these things happen. Keep an eye on the forecasts – they can shift.

Rusty.

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