Duckpool Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, I’m gonna be straight with you. This is a rough one for Duckpool Bay. We’ve got a 16-day window ahead, but honestly, there’s hardly a session worth paddling out for. The first few days are a write-off, with tiny weak swell and lousy winds. Then we hit a run of proper swell but it’s all blown to bits by strong onshore winds. It’s not until the very end of the outlook that we finally see a glimmer of something clean, but even then, it’s small.

Let’s break it down. For the first week, from Wednesday the 26th of August through to Saturday the 5th of September, it’s a grim stretch. The swell is either tiny – like 1ft to 2ft – or when it does pick up, the wind is howling from the SW or WSW at 18 to 31 mph, smashing the surface into a lumpy, blown-out mess. The combined energy of all swells is mostly pathetic, sitting in the double digits or low triple digits, with a few days like Friday the 28th of August showing a moderate 242 (units) but then it’s 18 mph cross-onshore, so it’s just a messy, choppy lake. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, nothing wild.

There is a standout moment, but it’s a weird one. On Monday the 7th of September, the morning shows a massive 12ft swell from the west with a 10-second period, and the combined energy is a whopping 2600 (units). The wind is a moderate 15 mph cross-shore, but the problem is, the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. This is only for experienced surfers, and even then, it’s a beast. It’s the only day with a decent score, but it’s a serious, serious beast. The afternoon on that same day is a total loss with 21 mph onshore wind.

Now, the next morning, Tuesday the 8th of September, still has a solid 5ft to 4ft west swell, but it’s onshore wind again. Not a good look.

Finally, the only truly clean window we get is on Sunday the 6th of September morning. The swell is tiny, just 2ft from the west with a 9-second period, and the combined energy is a weak 68 (units). But the wind is a light 6 mph offshore from the east, and the description says “clean.” It’s a tiny, weak wave, but it’ll be glassy and fun for a longboard or a foiler. It’s the only clean option in the whole 16 days, so if you’re desperate, that’s your window.

The rest of the second week, from the 9th to the 10th of September, just fades back into tiny, weak, and mostly messy conditions. The morning of the 9th of September has a clean 3ft swell with light cross-offshore wind, but it’s still only 1 out of 10 quality. It’s surfable but very ordinary.

Crowds at Duckpool Bay are only “sometimes” a problem, but honestly, given the poor quality of the surf, I wouldn’t bet on anyone being out there. The spot is exposed to the west, and the optimum swell direction is also west, which is what we get, but the wind just ruins it every time.

For the kite surfers out there, the strong, consistent cross-onshore winds from the SW and WSW on the bigger swell days (like 6ft to 10ft) are going to be a lot more interesting than trying to paddle into that mess.

Bottom line: if you’re a paddle surfer, this is a two-week stretch of mostly disappointment. The only real standouts are the clean but tiny window on Sunday the 6th of September, and the massive, expert-only beast on Monday the 7th of September. Don’t hold your breath for the rest of it.

Rusty.

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