Crystals Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's cookin' for the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, looking at the whole 16-day window, it's a bit of a flat spell with a tease of something bigger right at the very end. We've got a long stretch ahead with nothing really worth paddling out for. The first decent bit of energy doesn't show up until the 17th of September, and even then, it's messy. The main event looks like it could be around the 23rd and 24th of September, but that's over a week away and comes with its own problems.

Let's start with the only break we've got info on: Crystals. It's a beach and jetty setup, fairly exposed to swell, and likes it from the NE. For the first week and a half, it's just tiny, weak stuff. From the 9th of September through to the 16th, we're looking at waves barely 1 ft to 2 ft with weak energy (under 100). The winds are a mixed bag, but the waves are just too small to do anything with. A few mornings like the 13th and the afternoon of the 16th might look glassy or clean, but there's no power in the water.

Around the 17th of September, things start to change, but not for the better for surfing. We get a pulse of swell from the ENE, pushing up to 3 ft to 4 ft on the 17th. The problem? The period is a shocker at 5-6 seconds – that's pure wind chop – and the wind is howling onshore or cross-onshore. The combined energy is only just hitting 100, which tells you it's weak and junky. This kind of messy, onshore wind and small, weak swell is more kite-surfing conditions than paddling.

The 19th of September sees the swell kick up a bit more, with the NE swell reaching 5 ft to 6 ft by the afternoon. The period is still short (5-6 seconds) but the energy is climbing (up to 269). It's going to be a lumpy, cross-onshore mess at Crystals. Not worth the paddle for a clean wave.

Now, the real standout on paper is the 23rd and 24th of September. On the 23rd of September, we see a jump to 6 ft from the ESE with moderate to strong energy (558), but the period is still a short 7 seconds and the wind is onshore from the East. The 24th of September looks even bigger, with 7 ft from the East, a slightly better 8-second period, and very strong energy (459-473). However, the wind is a fresh 19 mph cross-onshore. This is getting into the "experts only" zone size-wise, but the wind is going to make it a bumpy, lumpy mess. It's a lot of power, but the quality is shot by that wind.

At the start of the period, the water temp is recorded at 77°, which is 5° warmer than normal – that's a very unusual warm patch for the time of year, but with no waves, it doesn't matter much.

So, to be straight with you: this 16-day period is not looking good for a proper surf. The best of the power shows up way out on the 23rd and 24th of September, but it looks like it's going to be a howling, messy onshore day. I wouldn't be getting my hopes up for anything clean or with any shape.

Rusty.

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