Empty Lots Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get straight into it. Empty Lots is a reef setup, and it’s exposed to the swell, but the truth is, for the next 16 days, we’re looking at a pretty grim run. The forecast is a long stretch of poor surf with not much to get excited about.

Right from the start on Saturday, 22 August, it’s rough. There’s a long-period groundswell rolling in from the SSW – 3ft of it, with a period of 16 seconds, so there’s some energy in the water (combined energy 550), but the wind is hammering out of the ENE at 22 mph, cross-shore, and it’s just lumpy, cross-chop mess. Not worth paddling out. That afternoon and through Sunday, the wind picks up to 25 mph, and the swell jumps to 5ft but from the east, with a short, gutless 7-second period. It’s all over the place.

Monday, 24 August, sees the swell drop back to 2ft from the SSW with a 14-second period, but the wind is still strong, 25 mph in the morning, creating lumpy conditions. The energy is moderate at 391. Not a single break in the pattern through the rest of the week. The wind sticks to that ENE direction, staying cross-shore between 15 and 22 mph, and the swell is a mix of short-period east swell and a few longer-period S/SSW pulses, but the quality is just poor.

We finally get a bit of a shift on the last day of August, Monday the 31st. The swell is 5ft to 5ft from the ENE with an 11-second period, and the combined energy is up to 773-829. The wind drops to a moderate 12-15 mph cross-shore, but it’s still not clean. The forecast is calling it marginal, with questionable tide conditions. It’s a step up from the previous week, but it’s not a standout.

The real glimmer is on Tuesday, 1 September. The morning is still a bit marginal, but by the afternoon, the wind shifts to NE at 12 mph, turning cross-offshore. The swell is 3ft from the SSW with a long 18-second period, energy at 872. The report says “clean.” That’s the best wave of the whole outlook. It’s a groundswell, so at a reef like Empty Lots, it should line up nicely, but it’s still small. If you’re an advanced surfer, this is the one to aim for.

After that, Wednesday, 2 September, has a light cross-onshore wind and 3ft to 3ft swell from the south, but it’s marginal. Thursday, 3 September, is interesting – the afternoon turns glassy with a light ESE breeze, and the swell is 2ft from the south with a 14-second period. The report says “expect good surf conditions,” but it’s tiny. For a glassy, clean session on a reef, it’s a nice bonus, but not a serious wave.

From Friday, 4 September, it’s back to the same story: moderate cross-shore winds, bumpy, short-period east swell around 5ft to 5ft, and poor quality. The whole second week looks like a write-off, with the wind staying fresh and the swell direction not aligning well.

Overall, the best on offer is the afternoon of Tuesday, 1 September, at Empty Lots (Empty Lots). Clean conditions, a long-period SSW groundswell, and a reef that will handle the direction. It’s the only time the stars align. Everything else is a fight against the wind.

Rusty

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