Emma Wood State Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get real about what’s happening with our local stretch.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a tough stretch ahead. The next week and a half is looking pretty flat and messy, with only a few glimmers of hope way down the line. For the first week, from Saturday the 22nd of August all the way through to the end of the month, the surf is tiny and mostly pretty poor. You’ll see a few small pulses of south-southwest swell, but the energy is just not there. The first few days are barely breaking, with the odd morning showing only 1.0ft to 2ft of weak, short-period junky swell. The wind is light and mostly onshore or cross-onshore, which just adds to the chop. It’s a real grind for anyone looking for a proper wave. The water temperature is a notable 70°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year.

The first real sign of life comes on Wednesday afternoon, the 26th of August. The swell bumps up to 3ft from the south, with a period of 13 seconds (moderate energy at 371). It’s still marginal, but it’s the first hint of something more. The wind is light and onshore, so it’s not clean, but the energy is there. The following days, Thursday the 27th and Friday the 28th, see a bit more size, but the quality remains poor or marginal at best. The conditions are just not cooperating.

Now, the standout, the one you’ve been waiting for – it’s a long-range call, but it’s the best on offer. Look at Friday the 4th of September. We’ve got a solid 3ft swell from the south-southwest, with a very long period of 19 seconds. That’s proper groundswell energy, and the combined energy is a strong 703 (Saturday morning, the 5th, is even bigger at 3ft with 575). This is real deal energy. The downside is the wind. Both Friday morning and afternoon are showing light to gentle cross-onshore breezes, which will chop it up a bit. But for a beach and reef setup like Emma Wood State Beach, that long period south swell will have some punch. It’s going to be a bit of a challenge to get the cleanest wave, but if you’re patient, those sets will have some push. The swell is under 5ft, so it’s still manageable for most, but the long period means it’ll be a bit more powerful and the sets will be spaced out. This is the one to circle on the calendar. The crowds are "often" here, so expect company.

The last few days of the forecast, around the 6th of September, still have some energy, but the wind is a persistent cross-onshore, so it’s a similar story: marginal, lumpy, but with some underlying power from that south swell. It’s not a total washout, but it’s not a stand-out session either.

In short, the first week is a write-off. The second week, particularly the 4th and 5th of September, is your best bet for some real, albeit imperfect, waves. Keep an eye on it.

Rusty.

Read more