E-Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let's get into this. This is a tricky run of swell for us here at E-Bay. We’ve got some serious waiting to do before anything really cleans up, but there are a few windows if you’re keen and patient.

For the first week, starting Tuesday the 15th right through to the weekend, it’s a write-off. We’ve got onshore winds from the south and southeast blowing hard, creating choppy, poor surf conditions. The swell is hanging around 3 ft to 4 ft from the SSW, but with that wind on it, it’s messy. The combined energy is moderate, but it’s all wasted with the wind. Thursday the 17th afternoon clears up a little sky-wise, but that south wind is still straight on it, so forget about it. By Saturday the 19th, we see a bump in period to 18 seconds (a nice long groundswell), and the energy jumps a bit, but the wind is cross and there’s a risk of thunderstorms. It’s marginal at best, and the water is sitting at a warm 85°F, about normal for this time of year.

Now, the standout. Monday the 21st. This is the one to circle on your calendar. The wind goes glassy – absolutely dead calm – in the morning and afternoon from the east-southeast at just 3 mph. The swell drops a little to 5 ft to 5 ft from the south, with a solid 14-second period. That combined energy is still moderate, but with glassy conditions, it’s going to be clean. The swell direction is S, and the optimum for E-Bay is W, so it’s not a perfect match, but the clean conditions and that long period groundswell will still produce some nice, lined-up waves. This is a reef break, so long-period swells are a bonus here – better shape and more power. Crowds are “sometimes”, so you might have a few out, but it won’t be a zoo. This one is the highlight.

After that, things go quiet again. Tuesday the 22nd is tiny – 2 ft with a long period, but the wind is cross-onshore again and it’s rated poor. We’ve got a long gap of poor conditions and onshore winds through the rest of that week and into the next.

Then, we look at the far end of the forecast. Sunday the 27th of September rolls around with a big pulse of south swell – 6 ft to 7 ft, 17 to 18-second periods, and the combined energy is massive – that is very strong wave energy. But the wind is still onshore from the SSE at 9 mph, and there are thunderstorms about. At 7 ft, this is expert territory only. It’s going to be big, powerful, and likely out of control with that wind. It’s a promising but very uncertain call that far out. Monday the 28th settles a little, with energy dropping and the wind easing to a light cross-shore from the east. That’s a better look, with 5 ft south swell and 16-second period – cleaner, but still a touch on the bigger side.

So, for the absolute best session, it’s Monday the 21st of September at E-Bay. Get on it before the wind gets up. The 27th and 28th are big-swell prospects for the experienced crew, but keep an eye on the wind.

Rusty.

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