Ekas-Outside Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let's have a look at what's on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, the opening stretch is a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got swell, no doubt about it, but it’s not surfing at its finest. The energy is solid, with values mostly in the 2000s (like 2803 to 2376), which is moderate to strong, but the conditions keep things from being truly epic. There's a pretty persistent cross-offshore breeze, around 12-18 mph, which keeps the surface clean but it's not that glassy perfection we all dream about. The water is sitting at 79°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.

We’re looking at Ekas-Outside (Lombok) here, a reef setup that’s fairly consistent. It’s pulling in a SSW swell, which is right in its wheelhouse, right through the first week. Tuesday morning starts us off with 7ft of swell at 13 seconds. That’s a solid size, but it’s not huge. The period is a bit short, so it won't have that real grunt to it, but it's rideable. The mornings are your best bet, as the sea breeze and tide can mess with the afternoons, making them more marginal. As we go through Wednesday and into Thursday the swell stays in that 6ft to 8ft range, but the wind is still a steady cross-off.

This pattern holds through to the weekend. It’s not bad, but it’s not firing either. The waves will be there, but you’ll be working for them. The swell direction is solid for this spot, coming from SSW, but the energy is a bit all over the place. It's just a run of "could be better, could be worse" surf. Around the 13th and 14th, the swell bumps back up to around 6ft to 8ft, but the wind also picks up again on a few of those afternoons, getting fresh. So, you'll want to be out there early.

The whole first week is a series of mornings that look better than the afternoons. It's all clean, sure, but the wind just isn't letting it get truly perfect. By the 15th and 16th, things ease off a touch, with swells in the 6ft to 6ft range, but we're still dealing with that same cross-off breeze. Then, around the 17th, we get another little pulse of SSW energy, up to 7ft, before it backs off again.

Heading into the second week, the pattern is very similar. It's not until the 21st that we get a bit of a wind change, with a lighter breeze from the SSE at 9 mph. That Monday morning looks like the pick of the first part of the week, with 5ft of swell and cleaner conditions. But then the swell dips. Tuesday the 22nd sees the energy weaken in the morning, but then the afternoon brings in a bigger, longer-period groundswell at 5ft with a 21-second period. That period is huge, which is great for getting energy in, but at a beach break, it can sometimes close out. For a reef like this, it could be interesting, but the cross-shore wind takes a bit of the shine off.

Now, for the standout. And there is one. Wednesday the 23rd of September. That is the one to circle. We’ve got the biggest swell of the period, with 8ft on the morning push, and the combined energy is through the roof at 4842. That’s strong to very strong wave energy. The wind is a moderate cross-off from the SE, which should keep it reasonably clean. The swell direction is solidly from the SSW, and it’s got a decent period of 19 seconds, so it’s a proper groundswell. This is going to be the best day on offer across the whole period, by a long shot.

The afternoon on the 23rd is still good, with 7ft and energy in the 4000s, but the morning is the time to be on it. It's one of those days where you might want to sleep in, but you really, really shouldn't. You just know it's going to be worth the early alarm.

So, the plan is simple. Get through the first week of average but surfable waves, don't get too excited about the middle part, and go all-in for Wednesday the 23rd. That's where the real magic is hiding.

Rusty.

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