Emerald Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Rusty.

G’day, I’m Rusty, and here’s how things are shaping up around Emerald Beach.

Alright, let’s be straight with you – the next couple of weeks are a real mixed bag, and for the most part, the surf around here is pretty quiet. We’ve got a long stretch of small, weak swells that just aren’t going to get the heart pumping. Water temp is sitting at 68°, which is pretty much dead average for this time of year – nothing unusual there.

Starting out, from Saturday the 29th right through to Tuesday the 1st of September, it’s all tiny swell – around 1ft to 2ft from the east or east-northeast, with periods of just 8 to 10 seconds. The wave energy is weak (between 31 and 54), and while the winds are mostly light offshore or cross-offshore, making the surface clean, the waves just don’t have any push. It’s a total write-off for any kind of meaningful session.

Wednesday the 2nd and Thursday the 3rd of September stay in the same small boat – similar size and direction, still clean enough in the mornings with light winds, but the swell is practically non-existent. Then on Thursday afternoon the 3rd, there’s a brief flicker: the wind goes glassy and the wave height bumps to 4ft, but the period is a pitiful 5 seconds and the swell direction is from the north-northeast. Combined energy hits 110, so it’s moderate, but the wave quality is described as very ordinary. It’s surfable but barely worth paddling out for.

Friday the 4th through Sunday the 6th of September sees us drop back into the doldrums – 1ft to 3ft, periods of 5 to 6 seconds, weak energy (17 to 124), and onshore or cross-on winds. The only real highlight in this whole period is a couple of mornings with clean conditions but no swell to work with.

Now, Monday the 7th of September starts to show some change. The morning is still small (3ft, 4-second period, clean), but Monday afternoon things get interesting – a jump to 8ft from the north-northeast, with a period of 7 seconds, and combined energy ramps up to 459. The wind is light and cross-shore, but conditions are described as marginal. That’s a lot of water moving, but the quality is still questionable. By Tuesday the 8th of September, we’ve got the best window of the whole outlook. Morning sees 6ft from the north-northeast (8-second period, clean with a light cross-offshore wind from the southwest) and the wave energy is strong at 664. Then Tuesday afternoon it cleans up even more with a moderate offshore wind (southwest at 16 mph) and 5ft swell – this is the standout. It’s not huge, but it’s good quality, clean, and has some grunt. This is the session to aim for.

After that, the rest of the outlook from Wednesday the 9th through Sunday the 13th of September fades back to small, weak, and mostly onshore wind conditions. Waves are 1ft to 3ft, periods of 7 to 9 seconds, and combined energy is mostly below 100. Some mornings are clean, but the swell just isn’t there.

Overall, the only real standout is Tuesday the 8th of September – that afternoon session at Emerald Beach with a moderate offshore wind and a solid 5ft north-northeast swell (period 7 seconds) is your best bet. Crowds are often around, so you might have to share, but for clean, fun waves, that’s the one. The rest of the time? Bring a longboard and a lot of patience, or go for a kite session if the wind suits.

Stay safe, stay stoked.

Rusty.

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