Emma Wood State Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – the next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for a proper paddle. The data shows a long stretch of days where the surf is just not cooperating, so we’re going to have to be patient.

There’s a gap right from the start. The first real sniff of anything worth talking about comes on the 5th of September, but even then, it’s a hard pass. Emma Wood State Beach is a beginner-friendly beach and reef break, fairly exposed to the swell, but the conditions are just ugly. The water is sitting at 70°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – over five degrees warmer than average, so that’s a weird one. The swell on Saturday the 5th is a tiny 2ft from the SSW, with a long period of 16 seconds, but the wind is a cross-on from the W at 9 mph, making it choppy and messy. The combined energy is weak at 358, and it’s just poor surf. This theme carries on day after day.

From the 6th through to the 12th of September, it’s the same sad story. Small swells, mostly around 2ft to 3ft, with periods that bounce around. The wind is constantly cross-onshore or onshore, from the WSW or W, at 6 to 12 mph. The wave energy stays in the low to moderate range (between 144 and 447), but every single report comes back as “poor surf conditions.” There’s nothing to get excited about.

The 13th of September brings a slight change – a 4ft swell from the WNW, but the period drops to a short 6 seconds, and again, cross-onshore wind at 9 mph. The energy is 204, which is moderate, but it’s still poor. The rest of the week into the 19th and 20th continues the pattern: tiny swells, poor wind, and zero scores across the board.

The only standout, and I mean the only one, is Sunday the 19th of September. On Saturday afternoon the 19th, we get a bump to 6ft from the W, period of 6 seconds, with light cross-onshore wind at 6 mph. The combined energy jumps to 315 (moderate). But here’s the thing – the 6ft is over the 5ft mark, so it’s getting a bit sizey for beginners, and with a short period like that, it’s going to be a bit of a mess. It’s still the best of a bad bunch, but don’t get your hopes up too high. The morning of the 20th also has a clean-looking 2ft from the SW with a long 19-second period, but the wind is onshore, and the energy is weak at 227.

Honestly, there’s nothing here that’s going to have you calling in sick. The wind is the main killer, and the swell is just too small or poorly directed. For a beach and reef setup like Emma Wood, this kind of extended flat spell is a bit more normal than we’d like. Forecasts can change, but right now, I wouldn’t be waxing up.

Rusty.

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