Emma Wood State Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it. The next 16 days are a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got a long stretch of onshore wind and pretty ordinary conditions, but there’s a brief window of hope if you’re patient. The water is running about 71° which is much warmer than usual for this time of year, so at least you won’t be freezing your butt off while you’re waiting for a wave.

The first real recommendation doesn’t come until Thursday, 3rd September, at Emma Wood State Beach. It’s a beach and reef setup, fairly exposed to the SW. The swell is a modest 3ft from the S with a period of 13 seconds. That’s a decent groundswell, but the energy is moderate (combined energy of 398). The winds are light from the SW, so it’s onshore, making for marginal surf. The tide or conditions are just not quite there, so it’s a day to be hopeful but not stoked.

The standout moment – and I mean the only real standout – comes on Friday, 4th September. Emma Wood wakes up with glassy conditions. A light NNE breeze – that’s offshore. The swell is still small, 2ft from the SSW, but the period is a long 17 seconds. This is proper groundswell. The energy is moderate (293). The waves will be clean, with some shape, and the sets will be well-spaced, making it easier to paddle out. The afternoon keeps it going with a NE offshore breeze and clean lines, swell bumping up to 2ft from the SSW at 16 seconds. This is the best on offer. The crowd profile here says “often,” so expect a few buddies in the water, but that’s the price for a good session.

After that, it’s back to the grind. Saturday, 5th September, the wind swings back onshore and the quality drops. From there, through to Thursday, 10th September, we’re looking at poor surf conditions with consistent onshore or cross-onshore winds and small, weak swell. The combined energy values drop into the low hundreds, and the swell direction stays from the SSW or SW, but it’s all blown out. There’s a gap of several days with no real recommendations, so it’s a waiting game.

If you’re a beginner, Friday 4th September is your best bet. The swell is well under 5ft, so it’s manageable. For anyone else, that’s the day to paddle out, get some clean, long-period lines, and enjoy the warm water. Don’t bother with the rest of the period unless the forecast changes.

Rusty.

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