Darbys (Wilsons Promontory) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve gotta be straight with ya – it’s a pretty grim run ahead for the next couple of weeks down at Darbys (Wilsons Promontory). The water’s sittin’ at about 56°, which is a fair bit warmer than usual for this time of year, so at least you won’t freeze your nuts off if you’re mad enough to paddle out.

Right now, through Wednesday 26 August and right into the first week of September, there’s not a single session worth paddlin’ for. The wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, and the wave energy is all over the shop – some days it’s a weak 143 (moderate) and other days it jumps up to 1320 (strong), but none of it is clean. The swell is mostly from the SW, around 2ft to 5ft, with periods between 12 and 18 seconds, but the wind just ruins it. It’s choppy, lumpy, and cross-chop city.

There’s a long stretch of poor surf conditions from Wednesday 26 August right through to Thursday 3 September – over a week of nothin’ worth your time. The few sessions that get a “marginal” tag – like Monday 31 August afternoon with a 3ft SW swell at 15 seconds and a light onshore breeze – are still too questionable to get excited about. The energy is moderate (423), but the wind’s just not doing it any favours.

The first real standout that might get your heart beatin’ a little comes on Friday 4 September. Early morning you’ve got a 6ft SW swell with a long 17-second period, and the wind is offshore from the SW at 9 mph. The wave energy is strong (2116), and it’s the cleanest we’ve seen. The problem is it’s still rated as marginal for surf – the tide or something else is iffy – but if you’re a beginner, this is the only time the conditions might be manageable. By the afternoon, the wind drops to a light 6 mph offshore, the swell holds at 6ft from the SW, period stretches to 18 seconds, and the energy jumps to 2344. That’s the best on offer, but it’s still a cautious call.

After that, the wind goes back to cross-onshore junk from Saturday 5 September through to Tuesday 8 September, with swell around 4ft to 4ft and moderate energy. Then on Wednesday 9 September, we get another glimmer – a 5ft SW swell with a long 18-second period, and only a light 6 mph cross-onshore breeze. The energy is strong (1747), and it’s the second-best window, but still marginal.

Thursday 10 September is a bit of a mixed bag – morning has a 4ft SW swell at 16 seconds and light offshore wind, but the afternoon sees the swell jump to 8ft from the WSW with a 15-second period and a moderate cross-onshore wind. That’s over 8ft, so it’s for experts only, and the energy is cranking at 3055, but the wind’s gonna mess it up.

So, bottom line: the whole 16-day window is mostly a write-off. The only two sessions that come close to being worth a look are Friday 4 September – both morning and afternoon – with clean offshore winds and a solid 6ft SW groundswell. That’s your best bet. The rest is just wind-affected slop or too big and messy. This spot is consistent enough normally, but this run is a proper dud. Keep an eye on the forecasts, though – things can change.

Rusty.

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