Empty Lots Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Yo, it's Rusty. Let's be real about Empty Lots, it's a reef break that's pretty exposed to swell and looking for something from SSE to really get going. Right now, we've got a long stretch ahead with no real good news in the water. The first entry kicks off on August 24th, and honestly, the outlook is bleak through nearly the entire 16-day window.

We start with Monday (August 24th) seeing a 4 ft swell from the east, but it's a short period of 7 seconds – that's weak, mushy, and the wind is a moderate cross-shore. No joy there. This pattern just repeats itself. The whole first week is filled with east and then south swells, mostly under 3 ft, and a persistent fresh cross-shore wind from the ENE. The energy levels are mostly moderate, like 475 to 656 on the meter (combined energy), but the poor surf conditions and cross-chop make it a total write-off. Even on Thursday morning (August 27th) when the south swell drops in with a longer period of 17 seconds and stronger energy (1110), it's only a marginal forecast – the 4 ft is still cross-shore and lumpy.

This grind continues. Friday through to the following Tuesday (September 1st) is the same story: 2 ft to 6 ft at best, but always contaminated by lumpy, fresh cross-winds. There's a tiny glimmer on the morning of September 7th and 8th, where the wind eases to a gentle or light breeze and the swell periods are around 9 to 10 seconds. The combined energy is still moderate (544 and 526), and it's only considered marginal with a score that hints at "okay maybe but don't get your hopes up." It's still a 3 ft to 4 ft easterly windswell mainly, and the wind is either cross or even onshore by then. It's not clean. The water temp is a warm 82° with a slight anomaly of 1°, which is normal for this time of year.

The standout to even mention is Thursday morning, August 27th, when that south groundswell (17 seconds) is the biggest and most powerful energy (1110) in the whole run. But with the fresh cross-wind and lumpy conditions, it's only for the determined or an expert who can handle the chop and the current. If you're a beginner, most of this period is a no-go; anything over 5 ft is too much, and even the 4 ft days are messy.

In the second week, it's more of the same. September 3rd has a brief pulse of 5 ft east swell but straight into a strong cross-shore. Toward the end, September 6th brings another south swell (16 seconds) with strong energy (971), but again, the cross-breeze ruins the party. For the hardy few, there's nothing that truly stands out as clean, lined-up surf. This looks more like a stretch for a kite surfer than a paddler with the persistent cross-breeze. Crowds are only "sometimes" an issue here, which tells you how rarely it's actually good.

Truth be told, Rusty's got nothing to get excited about for Empty Lots in the next two weeks. It's a long dry spell. Keep an eye on the forecasts, because it usually doesn't stay this quiet forever.

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