Darbys (Wilsons Promontory) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you—this stretch ahead is a tough one for the Wilsons Promontory region. The only break on the cards is Darbys, and honestly, for most of the next two weeks, it’s going to be a battle with the wind. If you’re patient, there’s a flicker of hope right at the very end.

Right now, the pattern is all mixed up. We’ve got a consistent run of swell coming from the SW, but the wind is just ruining it. From Monday the 7th right through to the weekend, it’s cross-on, cross-on, cross-on—sometimes fresh, sometimes moderate, but always lumpy and choppy. The swell height bumps up around Wednesday the 9th to a solid 7ft, but with a 22 mph cross-on SW wind, it’s just a messy, blown-out lump. The water temp is sitting at 56°F, which is bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The wave energy ramps up in a big way mid-week. Wednesday morning the 9th sees a combined energy of 4836 – that’s a strong, powerful push from the SW. But again, with the wind on it, it’s not going to be pretty. The period is a very long 21 seconds on that Wednesday morning, which is proper groundswell, but at a beach break like Darbys, that long period can make things a bit too straight and tricky. The wind is the enemy here.

We get a short break of ‘on’shore winds on Thursday the 10th, but it’s still pushing a 6ft SW swell with a moderate breeze. The wave comment is still poor, and it’s a hard pass. That pattern of messy cross-on wind holds solid until about the 16th.

There’s a promising little window starting to show on Thursday the 17th of September. That afternoon, we finally get a clean, cross-off breeze from the ESE at just 6 mph. The swell is a modest 4ft from the SW, with a long 15-second period, and the combined energy is a moderate 515. The wave comment says “expect good surf conditions,” but it’s still a small, clean wave. That’s the best we’ll see for a while.

The clear standout, the one you should circle on your calendar, is Tuesday the 22nd of September. That morning, we get a glassy offshore wind from the NE at 6 mph, flipping to absolute glass by the afternoon with a calm, zero wind reading. The swell is a solid 5ft from the SW, with a period of 15 to 16 seconds, and a combined energy of over 1200 – that’s a solid, moderate push. The wave comment says “expect very good surf conditions.” This is it. The only true window of clean, quality surf in the whole 16-day run. For a beginner spot like Darbys, 5ft is on the upper end, so it’ll be a bit of a challenge, but with that offshore wind and clean lines, it’s the best on offer by a country mile. Crowds are listed as ‘sometimes’ at Darbys, so on a Tuesday, you might have a decent chance of a few waves to yourself.

Before that, from the 17th to the 21st, it’s a mix of marginal conditions and onshore winds, with a few small windows of clean water but nothing to get excited about.

So, the bottom line: the next two weeks are mostly a write-off for Darbys. The wind blows from the wrong direction almost constantly. But if you can wait, the 22nd of September looks like a genuine little gem. Mark it down.

Rusty.

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