Duppys Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, it's Rusty. Look, I've had a good look at the charts for the next couple of weeks, and I gotta be straight with you – it's a tough one. We're looking at Duppys, a reef break that's pretty well set up for north swell, but the forecast is just not playing ball for a while. The water's sitting around 85°, which is pretty much spot on for this time of year, so that's one thing you won't have to worry about.

We kick off on the 1st of September, and honestly, don't even bother paddling out. It's flat as a tack, with a tiny 0.7 ft north swell and a weak cross-offshore wind. The combined energy is a measly 11. That's nothing. That poor run of tiny, weak swell and barely any real energy carries on right through until the 3rd of September. We're talking days of nothing.

Now, Thursday the 3rd of September shows a little flicker of life. The swell bumps up to 3 ft from the ENE, but it's short-period stuff at 8 seconds. The combined energy hits 133, which is moderate, but the wind is still cross-off and the conditions are just poor. It's not the kind of wave that gets you out of bed.

The 4th of September looks better on the wind front – we get a proper offshore breeze from the east, but the swell is back down to 0.7 ft. It's clean, but it's tiny. This pattern keeps going; the wind will be good for a few days here and there, but the swell just doesn't have the size or the period to light up the reef.

We get a little spike on the 7th of September, with the swell hitting 4 ft from the ENE, but the period is a short 7 seconds and the combined energy is only 138. The wind is cross-off, so it's a bit messy. That's not a standout, that's a "maybe have a look if you're desperate."

The 14th of September through to the 16th shows a bit more consistency, with the swell sitting around 3 ft to 3 ft from the ENE and the period finally stretching to 8-9 seconds. The combined energy on the 15th of September hits 127, which is moderate. The wind is offshore on the morning of the 15th, so it'll be clean. But look, 3 ft of short-period ENE swell at a reef that loves a north groundswell? It's not going to be magic. The 16th of September afternoon has a "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions" comment, which tells you everything.

So, what's the best on offer? Honestly, I'd circle the 15th of September. The morning will have a moderate offshore breeze, 3 ft of swell from the ENE with a 9-second period, and moderate energy (127). It's not a world beater, but it's the most surfable window in the whole 16 days. The 16th of September afternoon is the other one, with a 2 ft swell and offshore wind, but it's a small, ordinary day.

For the rest of the forecast, it's a lot of small, weak, or onshore slop. There's a big gap of nothing from the 1st right through to the 3rd, and then another lull after the 7th. If you're a beginner, the swell never really gets above 5 ft, so that's not a problem, but the quality is just so poor. Duppys is a reef break, so when it's not working, it's not working. This is a long, blank run for this area, and it's just how it goes sometimes. The set-up looks more interesting for a kiteboarder on those days with a bit of wind and a bumpy sea, but for a paddle surfer? It's lean.

Rusty, signing off.

Read more