Empty Lots Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – the next 16 days at Empty Lots are a real mixed bag and mostly a struggle. It’s a reef break that’s fairly consistent and exposed, taking swell from the SSE direction. We’ve got a long flat spell to start, so don’t get too keen just yet. The water temp is sitting right around 81°, which is pretty much average for this time of year – nothing weird there.

The outlook kicks off on Tuesday, 1st September, but honestly, there’s no surf worth paddling out for. The first few days are a write-off with poor conditions; the wind is hammering cross-shore around 15-25 mph and the wave quality is just rubbish. You’ve got some small, short-period ENE windswell with combined energy in the moderate range (around 739 to 770), but it’s all lumpy and messy. Wednesday and Thursday are more of the same – strong onshore winds and poor surf. Friday, 4th September, sees a bump in swell energy (around 1394) but still poor with messy cross-chop.

Saturday, 5th September, things get a bit more interesting but still only marginal. The swell picks up to 6 ft from the east with a long period of 13 seconds – that’s a proper groundswell. Combined energy jumps to 1882, which is strong. But the wind is still cross-shore at 15 mph, putting a chop on it. It’s not clean enough to get excited, but the energy is there. Sunday, 6th September, is similar, with the swell building to 7 ft and energy hitting 3081 – that’s very strong. Still cross-shore wind though, and the wave comment calls it marginal. For a reef, that long-period east swell might wall up and be a handful, especially with that wind.

Monday and Tuesday of the second week (7th and 8th September) stay marginal. The swell holds around 5-6 ft with long periods, but winds are cross-onshore. Energy remains strong (around 1998-2041). Still not the clean stuff we want. After that, from Wednesday 9th through to Friday 11th, it fades hard – back to poor conditions with small swell and moderate cross-shore winds. A real lull sets in.

Then, on Saturday, 12th September, things go totally glassy. We get a calm wind, zero wind, and a 4 ft south swell with a period of 13 seconds. Combined energy is 776, moderate, but the comment says “expect very good surf conditions.” This is the standout of the whole run. That south groundswell, with no wind, on a reef that likes SSE swell? That’s going to be clean, lined-up, and lovely. Get on it. Crowds can show up here sometimes, but on a day this good, expect company because it’ll be the only game in town.

Sunday, 13th September, gets big – 10 ft to 12 ft from the SSW with a 12-second period. Energy is through the roof at 3188 to 4170 – very strong. That’s expert territory. Winds are light, but it’s still noted as marginal, likely due to the size and direction. Monday, 14th September, keeps the big energy (2601) but the swell drops to 15 ft with short period (8 seconds) and wind picks up again. That’s messy, powerful, and only for the brave. After that, the swell crashes to tiny 1-2 ft for the rest of the window.

Bottom line: the first week is a loss. The real highlight is Saturday, 12th September – glassy conditions and a clean 4 ft south swell. That’s the one to mark. The big stuff on the 13th is for experts only. The rest is forgettable.

Rusty.

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