Empty Lots Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Empty Lots over the next couple of weeks.

Straight up, the first half of this outlook is a bit of a write-off. From Tuesday the 15th right through to the early hours of Wednesday the 23rd of September, the conditions are looking pretty grim. We’ve got a long stretch of lumpy, messy wind and choppy surfaces that aren’t going to give you anything worth paddling out for. The wave energy during this period is moderate to strong – you’ll see readings anywhere from 547 to 1399 – but the wind is just ruining it. Persistent easterly cross-shore breezes, often in the 15 to 25 mph range, are making a mess of things. You’d be fighting a losing battle out there.

The first real glimmer of hope comes on Wednesday the 23rd of September. The afternoon session looks like a proper standout. The wind swings around to a light westerly, going cross-offshore, which is going to clean things right up. We’re looking at a utility swell from the east, about 6ft, with a period around 10 seconds – that’s enough to get some decent shape, especially on a reef setup like Empty Lots. The wave energy is still solid at 989. The morning that day is a bit softer with a light southerly cross-on, but the afternoon is where it’s at. This is the best window in the whole run, so mark it.

After that, we get a few more days of mixed signals. Thursday the 24th has a cleaner morning with a westerly cross-off at 12 mph, and 7ft east swell, but the wind picks up a bit. Not terrible, but not the perfection of Wednesday afternoon. The following days drift back into marginal territory with light onshore breezes and lumpy conditions.

Then, hold on, there’s another proper highlight. On Tuesday the 29th of September, the afternoon session looks excellent for the more experienced crew. We’ve got glassy conditions with a 5ft swell from the ENE, and a period of 11 seconds. That longer period is going to bring in some proper groundswell energy, and for a reef break like this, that’s a beautiful thing. The combined energy is up at 1063, so there’s plenty of push. The water temperature is sitting at 81°, which is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Overall, this spot is fairly consistent, and it’s not going to stay flat for long, but you’ve got to pick your windows. The standout is undeniably Wednesday the 23rd of September afternoon, with Tuesday the 29th of September afternoon a close second for the more advanced surfers. For the rest of it, you might be better off waiting for the forecasts to change.

Rusty.

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