Cunns Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the table for this stretch of coast.

Alright, we’ll be focusing on Cunns, a reef break that’s exposed to the south-west swell and needs an ESE wind to be clean. It’s an advanced wave, no doubt about it, and it’s inconsistent, so when it fires, you’ve gotta be ready. The water temp is sitting at 61°F, which is about 0.5°F above normal, so pretty much what you’d expect for this time of year – nothing wild.

The early part of the outlook is a bit of a grind. Wednesday the 9th has some size, with waves around 6ft to 8ft, but the wind is howling at 25 mph, and while it’s offshore on the morning, it’s a strong breeze that makes paddling into these things a real mission. The afternoon turns cross-off but still messy. Thursday the 10th is cleaner, with a fresh breeze and 6ft to 6ft waves from the SW, but the scores are low, and it’s just not coming together. Friday the 11th drops off to 4ft, and the energy is weak (707), so that’s a skippers’ day. Saturday the 12th and Sunday the 13th are basically write-offs with onshore slop, so don’t bother.

There’s a bit of a lull through Monday the 14th, with only 3ft on offer, but the wind is light and offshore, so if you’re rusty and just want to get wet, it’s clean. Then Tuesday the 15th starts to show some promise. We’ve got 5ft in the morning with a moderate offshore breeze, and the water is clean. The combined energy is moderate (1018), and the period is a solid 14 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell, and it’ll be lining up nicely on the reef for the experienced crew. Wednesday the 16th afternoon is a real standout – the wind drops to nearly nothing, just 3 mph from the ESE, and the swell is 5ft with a 16-second period. That’s glassy, that’s clean, and the energy is strong (1379). This is the best early call.

Now, there’s a rough patch from Thursday the 17th through to Sunday the 20th. The wind is messy, cross-on, and choppy, with a couple of days of 25 mph onshore junk. Sunday the 20th has 8ft of slop, but it’s rain-showers and strong cross-onshore wind – that’s a kite-surfing day, not a paddle-surfing day.

But then, hold onto your board. Monday the 21st September is the absolute standout. The morning delivers 8ft of SW groundswell, with a 18-second period – that’s a very long period, meaning it’s gonna be powerful and better at this reef than a beach break. The wind is a gentle offshore from the ESE, just 9 mph, so the face will be clean as a whistle. The energy is massive (3273). This is an expert-only wave – over 8ft, it’s for the big dogs. The crowds are only “sometimes” an issue here, but on a day like this, expect a few locals to be out. The swell direction is straight from the optimum SW, so it’s gonna be a proper session.

The following week has more action. Tuesday the 22nd morning is another clean one with 5ft and offshore wind, and Wednesday the 23rd keeps 6ft to 8ft rolling, but the wind is more cross-off. Then, Thursday the 24th September – this is the big one. The morning has 10ft of SW swell at 17 seconds, with a moderate offshore wind. The energy is off the charts at 9201. That’s exceptional, but it’s for experts only. If you’re not comfortable in heavy reef slabs, stay on the sand. The afternoon drops to 8ft, still clean, but the morning is the session everyone will be talking about.

So, if you’re picking the best of the bunch, it’s Monday the 21st morning for the perfect mix of power and clean conditions, and Thursday the 24th morning for the absolute biggest, heaviest, most memorable swell of the window. Both are promising, but the closer one (21st) is a more reliable bet.

Rusty.

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