Empty Lots Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let’s have a look at the forecast for Empty Lots.

Honestly, folks, it’s a bit of a grim picture coming up. The overall pattern for the next couple of weeks is dominated by persistent cross-shore winds that won’t let up, and the surf quality just never gets good. For the first week or more, we are stuck with poor surf conditions, so don’t expect much.

The first sign of anything rideable creeps in on Thursday the 20th, but only as marginal. Swell is small, around 2ft from the SSW, with a long period. The wind stays light and cross-onshore, which isn’t doing us any favours. The wave energy is moderate at best (400-543). It’s a bit of a tease, really.

The standout window – and I use that word loosely – looks to be from the morning of Tuesday the 25th of August onward, with the swell building. By the 27th and 28th, we see swell pushing 8ft to 8ft from the east, with moderate to strong combined energy (1720 is the peak). That’s solid size for Empty Lots, definitely in the expert-only zone. However, the period is short (8 seconds) and the wind remains a moderate cross-shore breeze. Those conditions mean lumpy, choppy surf. It’s big but messy, and with that short period, it’s going to close out fast. Not what you’d call a classic day.

The only real spark of hope comes on the 26th of August in the afternoon, when a 4ft SSW swell with a much better 12-second period arrives, and combined energy is strong (1116). The wind drops to 12 mph. Still cross-shore, so not perfect, but that longer period from the south is your best chance for a wave with a bit of shape. Even then, it’s only a marginal forecast.

There’s a long stretch of poor or marginal conditions.

For the most part, this setup at Empty Lots looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, especially when the wind is up and the swell is onshore.

Rusty.

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