Ditch Plains Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at the next 16 days for Ditch Plains (reef).

Honestly, partner, it’s a tough stretch. The forecast is pretty grim for the most part. We’ve got a long, dry spell ahead. The first real chance to get wet doesn't show up until early September, and even then, it’s not much to write home about.

The water’s sitting at 70° with a tiny anomaly of 0.4°, so it’s about bang on average for the time of year. That’s the only thing that’s normal.

Saturday the 29th gives you a tiny 2ft swell from the SE with a weak 8-second period. The combined energy is a measly 55, so you’re not going anywhere fast. The morning has a clean cross-off wind from the NNE at 9 mph, which makes it look okay, but it’s just a dribbler. The afternoon gets chopped out by a SW wind. It’s surfable, but it’s very ordinary.

Then we hit a proper dead zone. From Sunday the 30th all the way through to Monday the 7th of September, it’s a wasteland. We’re talking over a week of tiny, wind-affected junk. The swell barely breaks 1ft to 3ft, periods are short, and the wind is either cross or onshore. There’s a brief moment on the 5th with a clean 1ft and offshore wind from the WNW, but you’d be paddling for nothing. The energy readings are all in the teens, twenties, or low thirties—just pathetic.

The first sign of life comes on Tuesday the 8th of September. The swell picks up to 5ft from the E, but it’s a short-period 6-second wind swell. The combined energy jumps to 179 in the morning and 247 in the afternoon, which is moderate, but the wind is a strong cross-shore from the SW at 15-18 mph. That’s going to be a lumpy, cross-choppy mess. Not a good paddle-in session.

Now, Wednesday the 9th is the one window that gets my attention. That morning, we see a 3ft swell from the SSE with a long 11-second period. The combined energy is a solid 369 (moderate). And the wind? It’s a clean cross-off from the WSW at 15 mph. That’s the cleanest and most powerful wave in the whole 16-day window. It’s not huge, but that longer period will give it some shape, and the clean wind will make it rideable. It’s a good session for an intermediate surfer who wants to get a few lined-up waves at the reef. The afternoon gets dicey as the wind picks up and the period drops off.

After that, it fades out again. The 11th and 12th have some tiny, clean surf, but it’s the back half of the window. The 13th looks like a total washout with a 1ft swell and strong offshore winds. Not worth the trip.

So, if you’re holding out, the standout is Wednesday morning, September 9th. It’s the only real quality window. For everything else, you’re probably better off staying on the beach.

Rusty.

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