Emerald Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – the next couple of weeks at Emerald Beach are a tough stretch for paddle surfing. The wave energy is weak, and most of the time the conditions are just poor. The first decent surf doesn’t show up until Sunday, September 20th, so there’s a gap of about 11 days of flat or messy stuff before we get anything worth paddling for.

The only spot that gets a nod is Emerald Beach, a point break that’s fairly consistent but exposed to the swell. It’s an intermediate wave, and it can get crowded. The water temperature is sitting at 69°F, which is about average for this time of year – nothing unusual there.

Alright, let’s run through the period. From now through Saturday, September 19th, it’s all poor surf conditions. Tiny waves, mostly under 2 ft, with weak combined energy (values like 25, 21, 33 – all well under 100). The winds are offshore or light at times, but the swell just isn’t there. The swell direction is mostly from the ENE, which is where the optimum comes from for this spot, but the heights are too small to do anything with. On Wednesday morning, September 9th, it’s glassy with a 1.0 ft ENE swell, but it’s still a no-go. The period is short and energy is minimal.

The standout of the whole forecast, and truly the only one worth mentioning, lands on Sunday, September 20th. The morning session is the best on offer. We’ve got a 5 ft swell from the NNE, with a period of 7 seconds – short period, so it’ll be a bit fat and bouncy, but it’s the biggest and cleanest we’ll see. The wind is light and cross-offshore from the SSE at 15 km/h, keeping it clean. The combined energy is moderate at 324 – that’s a solid push for this break. It’s surfable, but with 5 ft, it’s getting into the size that might be too much for beginners. Expect a bit of crowd, as this spot sees people often.

The Sunday afternoon session is a step down – same 5 ft swell but the energy drops to 169, and the quality is just ordinary. Beyond that, Monday September 21st has a smaller 3 ft NNE swell, but it’s clean and cross-offshore, so you could get a few fun ones if you’re desperate.

Into the second week, things get messy again. Tuesday September 22nd and Wednesday September 23rd see onshore winds and building swell – up to 8 ft from the NNE by Wednesday afternoon, with combined energy hitting 525. That’s a lot of power, but the wind is onshore, creating choppy, poor conditions. That size is only for experts, and with the onshore wind, it’s more likely to be a kite-surfing show than a paddle session.

So, bottom line: if you’re hanging for a wave, wait for Sunday morning September 20th. It’s not perfect, but it’s the only moment with some juice and clean conditions. The rest of the run is a write-off.

Rusty.

Read more