Dolphinarium Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get this sorted. Dolphinarium’s the only spot in the mix, and honestly, it’s a bit of a rough stretch for the next couple of weeks. I’ve seen this forecast pattern before – a lot of small, weak swell stuck in that WNW direction, which isn’t what this place is looking for. It’s exposed to the northwest, so it's getting something, but that something is pretty damn small.

For the first several days, through the 28th, we're looking at gutless 1.3ft to 2ft waves. The wind is all over the place – cross, cross-on, on – and that's just going to leave it chopped and messy. Not worth paddling out for unless you're just learning to stand up on a foamie in the whitewater. You’d be fighting for scraps. The energy is weak, barely registering. It’s not surf, it’s just a ripple.

Saturday the 29th is the first time we see a pulse, with the swell jumping to 2.3ft. The morning offers a light cross-offshore wind, which will clean it up. The energy is still weak, but it’s the best we’ve seen. It’s surfable, but it’s not going to be firing. You’ll get a few roll-throughs, but don’t expect any gems.

Then we get a bit of a jump on Sunday the 30th. The swell kicks up to 5.2ft, and the energy jumps up to that moderate range. The problem is the 15 mph WSW wind. That’s a cross-shore chop machine. The morning is even showing a risk of thunderstorms. The message is clear – poor surf conditions. It’s going to be a messy, wind-blown wall. If you’re an expert, you might find something on the better peaks, but it’ll be a grind. For the average surfer, this is a paddle-out and a fight.

Monday the 31st sees the swell easing to 3.6ft, with a cleaner morning (SW cross-off 9 mph). It’s still not great, but it’s cleaner. Tuesday the 1st looks like the start of a lull, with a glassy morning but the swell dropping to 2.6ft.

From the 1st through the 6th of September, we’re back to the same old story – tiny 1.3ft to 2.6ft swells with periods under 8 seconds. The energy is almost nothing. A couple of mornings are glassy, which would make for some fun longboarding if there was any wave, but there just isn't enough push. The afternoons are all blown out by the 12 mph NW wind.

Sunday the 7th of September is the most interesting blip on the radar. The morning shows a 3.9ft WNW swell with an 8-second period and a solid jump in energy. The wind is a light NNE at 3 mph, which is glassy. This is the standout window. It’s still not huge, but it’s the best combination of swell and clean conditions in the entire forecast. It’s the one morning you’d actually set an alarm for. Just know the period is a bit short, so it might be a little crumbly on the sandbank.

After that, it drops off again. The 8th through the 10th are another run of tiny, weak surf with more onshore wind. It’s a blank end to the outlook.

So, bottom line: it’s a pretty bleak couple of weeks for Dolphinarium. The only real hope is that Sunday morning of the 7th, and even that is a gamble. For a beginner, the tiny days on the glassy mornings might be okay for a splash about, but for anyone else, it's just not worth the effort. The break is fairly consistent, so it tends not to stay this poor for too long, but this stretch is a true test of patience. The forecast can change, but right now, I’m not getting my wetsuit wet.

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