Emerald Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s cookin’ at Emerald Beach for the next couple weeks.

First things first—there’s a long, dry stretch of nothing much. From now all the way through to the morning of Wednesday September 9th, you’ve got over a week of tiny, weak, and mostly messy surf. Most days the swell sits below 2 ft, and when it does show a little bump, the wind or tide ruins it. That Thursday morning of September 4th has glassy conditions with 3 ft of weak, short-period NNE swell, but it’s barely surfable. Not worth getting wet for. It’s a quiet spell, but that’s just how it goes sometimes around here.

The real deal finally shows up on Wednesday, September 9th in the morning. That’s your standout. We’re looking at a solid 7 ft swell from the SE with a 12-second period—proper long-period groundswell with serious energy (1212 on the scale). A moderate offshore wind from the south is gonna keep the surface clean and glassy. This is excellent surf, but at that size, it’s for experienced surfers only. Beginners, stay on the sand.

That afternoon of the 9th drops to 6 ft SE swell at 11 seconds (910 energy) with moderate cross-offshore winds. Still clean, still decent, but not as good as the morning. Then on Thursday, September 10th afternoon, a smaller pulse of 3 ft SE swell with 9-second period (201 energy) and light winds gives “good surf conditions.” Not a hero wave, but a fun little session to cap off the week.

Water temp at the start of the forecast (August 27) is 68°F, which is pretty normal for this time of year—no big anomaly.

Emerald Beach is a point break, and it’s fairly consistent, but it really likes swell from the NE. Most of what we’re getting is from the SE or ENE, not its ideal angle. That long-period SE swell on the 9th might break a bit straight for a beach break, but on a point, it can still produce some nice shaped waves. Just expect longer lulls between sets.

Crowds are often an issue here, so if you’re chasing that Wednesday morning session, get in early.

Bottom line: the first week is a bust. The only real highlight is that Wednesday morning of September 9th. That’s your window.

- Rusty

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