Ditch Plains Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you – this 16-day window for Ditch Plains is a tough one. We’re looking at a long stretch of small, weak, and often messy conditions. The first real surf that’s even worth mentioning doesn't show up until well into the period, so we’ve got a dry spell on our hands.

The water is sitting at a pretty normal 70° for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The first few days are a write-off. Sunday the 6th has glassy conditions but with a tiny 1ft easterly windswell and only 19 units of energy – it’s a lake. Monday the 7th cleans up with a strong offshore NNW wind, but again, it’s just 1ft with a 10-second period. The energy is negligible (22). This pattern of near-flat surf and poor quality continues right through until the middle of the month.

We finally see a pulse on Wednesday the 10th of September. It’s a messy one though. A 6ft SSW swell hits with a short 7-second period, and the combined energy jumps to 313 – that’s moderate energy. But it’s accompanied by a strong 22 mph cross-shore wind and rain showers. The wave comment is “poor surf conditions.” This is going to be a lumpy, cross-chop mess. Not for the faint-hearted, and honestly, more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddler.

The rest of the week into the following week is a mix of tiny swells, onshore winds, and cross-shore breezes. There’s a moment on Friday the 11th with a clean offshore, but the swell is only 2ft and fading fast. Not a stand-out.

The second week is more of the same. Very small swells, poor wind directions, and low energy readings. The best you can hope for is a clean but tiny wave on the 17th and 18th of September with a 1ft to 1ft groundswell from the ESE. The wind is light cross-offshore, so it’ll be glassy, but you’ll be fighting for scraps.

The only real spike in energy comes on Sunday the 20th of September. The afternoon shows a 4ft SSW swell with a short 5-second period, and 102 units of energy. But the wind is a moderate 16 mph cross-onshore, making it choppy. Again, the quality is poor.

So, the bottom line: there’s no standout session in this entire 16-day forecast. The swell is too small, too short-period, and the wind is rarely on our side. Ditch Plains is exposed, and we need a good, clean swell to work. We’re just not getting it. It’s a blank run, which happens here. Forecasts can change, so keep an eye on the charts, but for now, my advice is to take a break or find a different hobby for a couple of weeks.

Rusty.

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