Darbys (Wilsons Promontory) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here.

Look, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it. The next couple of weeks at Darbys (Wilsons Promontory) are looking pretty average for the most part. We’ve got a bit of a slow start, then a pulse of proper size and energy, but the wind’s gonna be against us for the bulk of it. You’re gonna have to pick your moments.

The water temp is sitting at 56°F, which is about normal for this time of year, so don’t expect any surprises there – it’s just your standard winter/spring chill.

We’re looking at a hole in the surf for the first couple of days. Saturday the 15th has a 5ft SW swell with 15-second period and the energy is moderate at 906, but the wind is on it in the morning and goes cross in the arvo, so it’s messy. The score is low, and you’d be fighting a bumpy ocean for a pretty weak wave. Sunday the 16th is smaller, down to 3ft, but the morning is crossed up. The afternoon is the first real window – light ESE cross-off, clean conditions, and a bit of energy (297). Still small, but at least it’s clean.

Monday the 17th is the first morning that looks actually surfable. We get a 3ft SW swell, ENE offshore wind at 9 mph, and the energy is 238. It’s small, but clean and glassy. Monday afternoon bumps up a touch to 3ft with a longer 17-second period, energy rises to 400, and there’s still a clean offshore. This is probably the pick of the first week – not big, but decent shape and a bit of push.

Tuesday and Wednesday the 18th and 19th are small – 2ft and 2ft – with clean mornings but very low energy. It’s surfable but ordinary. Then things get blown out from Thursday the 20th onwards. Thursday the 20th has onshore wind and chop, poor conditions. Friday the 21st is cross-shore and lumpy with a 20-second period but the wind’s not helping, so it’s a write-off.

Then the real swell hits on Saturday the 22nd. We’re talking 8ft of SW swell with a 15-second period and the energy jumps right up to 2690 – that’s strong, powerful stuff. But the wind is onshore and 16-19 mph, so the surface is going to be a washing machine. It’s not a surfer’s day; this is a day for the kites. The swell is too big and blown out. Sunday the 23rd is similar, still 4ft but with 19 mph cross-on winds, lumpy and poor. Monday the 24th is more of the same – 5-6ft of SW swell, energy over 2000, but the wind is on it again, making it a mess.

So the first full week is pretty much a bust. There’s a gap of a few days where I wouldn’t even bother paddling out. We’re looking at the 20th through the 24th as a write-off – no real surfable options.

Then, the light at the end of the tunnel. Tuesday the 25th. The morning shapes up nicely: 4ft of SW swell, ENE offshore at 9 mph, energy at 472, and the comments say “expect good surf conditions.” That’s the standout of the whole run. It’s not a monster, but it’s clean, offshore, and the swell direction is right. After that, Wednesday the 26th drops right off to 1ft – dead. And then Thursday the 27th onwards, we get more strong wind, 19-28 mph, blowing everything out and messing up the surface. The swell is small anyway, so it’s not gonna be worth the drive.

So, if you’re keen, you’ve got two windows: the afternoon of Sunday the 16th and especially Monday the 17th for some clean, small waves. Then you’re waiting all the way to Tuesday the 25th morning for the best of the lot – a clean, offshore pulse of SW swell. That’s your one true standout. It’s a week out, so treat it as promising but don’t book the day off yet. The rest is either blown out, too small, or both.

Its been a while since I’ve seen such a long flat spell punctuated by one clean day. But that’s the Prom for you.

Stay stoked.

Rusty.

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