Empty Lots Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a good hard look at what’s coming our way. We’ve only got one spot on the radar for this whole 16-day stretch, and to be honest, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. The water’s sitting at 81°, which is pretty much spot on for this time of year, so nothing weird going on there.

We’ve got a bit of a wait for the first real window. Things start to look a little better on Wednesday, the 9th of September. That morning, the swell is a small 3ft from the SSW with a long 14-second period, and the wind is light and offshore from the SSE. It’s a bit marginal early, but the afternoon shapes up nicely. The wind goes glassy, dead calm from the west, with the same 3ft SSW swell. That’s the cleanest it’s gonna get for a while, with a combined energy of 351. It’s not big, but it’ll be super smooth.

The real standout of the whole outlook, though, is Saturday the 12th of September in the afternoon. We’ve got a tiny 2ft swell from the SW, but the wind is a clean cross-offshore from the NE. The combined energy is only 286, so it’s weak, but that clean wind and the 16-second period will make for some glassy little runners at Empty Lots. It’s a reef break, so that long period groundswell will wrap in nicely, and it’s fairly consistent. Crowds are sometimes a problem here, so you might have to share. Still, for the size, that’s your best bet.

After that, it’s a long, grim run. From Sunday the 13th right through to the end of the window on the 23rd, it’s mostly poor surf conditions. The wind is almost always a cross-shore, cross-on, or just messy, and the swell stays small, mostly under 3ft. There’s a big spike in energy on Friday the 18th of September, hitting 1601, with a 3ft SSW swell and a 17-second period, but the wind is a fresh 19 mph cross-shore from the ENE, making it lumpy. That’s a stronger energy, but it’s too messy for a good paddle. Honestly, with that wind and the setup, it looks more interesting for kite surfing than for a traditional surf.

The last few days, from the 21st to the 23rd, are just a write-off with strong winds and tiny, weak swell. So, to sum it up: get out there on Wednesday afternoon the 9th for the glassy conditions, or if you’re patient, wait for Saturday the 12th afternoon for the cleanest, most lined-up little waves. After that, it’s a long gap with nothing worth chasing.

Rusty.

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