Ditch Plains Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Gather round, folks. Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – the next 16 days at Ditch Plains are a tough watch for anyone hoping to get wet with a decent wave. We’re lookin' at a long, flat stretch of poor surf that barely scrapes into "surfable" territory a few times. The water temp is sittin' around 72°F (Ditch Plains), which is pretty normal for this time of year, so at least you won't freeze while you're sitting there on your board doin' nothin'.

The outlook kicks off Saturday the 22nd of August, and honestly, it's a write-off. Tiny slop with cross-shore winds and almost no energy – combined energy a measly 38. No point even paddling out. Sunday the 23rd is more of the same; onshore wind and a couple of weak wobbles. We've got a gap of several days where there's zero worthwhile surf.

We finally see a sliver of hope come Monday the 24th of August. The morning shows a bit of shape with a clean cross-offshore breeze and about 2ft of weak SSE swell, but it's still a dud. The afternoon picks up a little – a bump to 4ft from the south with 19 mph cross-shore wind and a combined energy reaching 98. Still, the "poor surf conditions" tag says it all. Not worth your time.

Tuesday the 25th of August is the first real sniff of a session. The afternoon brings a light offshore wind from the WNW at 12 mph, a 3ft SSW swell, and clean conditions. The wave comment calls it "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions" – and I'd agree. It's small, but it's clean. Not a standout, but the best on offer so far.

Wednesday the 26th of August morning is glassy – that's the one highlight. A slight air from the WSW, 1ft from the ESE, and glassy conditions. Combined energy is 59. It's tiny, but if you had a log, you might get a couple of fun ones before the wind comes up. That's as good as it gets for the first week.

A big gap of poor conditions follows, all the way to Friday the 28th of August morning. There's a spike in energy to 149 (moderate!) but it's paired with cross-shore wind and only 2ft of swell. Still poor.

Saturday the 29th of August brings a repeat of offshore winds (NW then WNW at 12 mph) and 3ft southerly swell with clean conditions. The energy is solid at 112 (moderate). This is your best bet in the first week – it's clean, it's small, but it's rideable. Not a standout by any means, but if you're desperate, that's your window.

Then we get swamped again. Nothing but cross-onshore junk and tiny surf from the 30th of August through the end of the month. Mid-week enters with some long-period groundswell showing up – Tuesday the 1st of September morning has a 14-second period from the SE, but it's only 1ft and cross-shore wind spoils it. Energy hits 102 (moderate), but the waves are weak.

The most interesting pulse arrives Wednesday the 2nd of September. The morning has 3ft from the SE with a 9-second period and a combined energy of 278 (strong!). But the wind is cross-onshore, and that kills it. The afternoon is even bigger energy at 203 but still onshore junk. It's a lot of water moving, but it's messy.

Thursday the 3rd of September has the biggest swell of the outlook: 4ft to 4ft from the south, but again, onshore winds and choppy conditions. Combined energy is 221–245 (strong!). This could have been a standout, but the wind just won't cooperate. For expert surfers, there might be a few powerful closeouts, but it's not clean.

Friday the 4th of September afternoon pulls back. A clean cross-offshore breeze, 3ft from the south, and a combined energy of 85 (weak). It's "surfable but very ordinary." Still, for a quiet session on a longboard, it's okay.

From there, it's back to tiny, weak, and mostly choppy right through to the end of the outlook on Sunday the 6th of September. No real standouts. The best on offer, overall, is the Saturday the 29th of August morning into the afternoon – clean offshore winds, moderate energy (112), and 3ft south swell. It's not pumping, but it's the cleanest, most consistent-looking window. If you're a beginner, the biggest surf peaks around 4ft, which is fine, but the conditions are ugly. Honestly, for the second week, there's nothing worth getting excited about.

Keep an eye on the long-range – these conditions tend not to stay this flat forever, and forecasts can change. For now, leave the board at home.

Rusty

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