Empty Lots Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right. Pull up a seat, grab a coffee. Rusty here. Let’s talk about Empty Lots.

First thing you gotta know – this is a reef break, exposed to the swell. It’s a fairly consistent wave, but it’s an advanced-only spot. And right now, it’s giving us nothing. The next week and a half are a total write-off. From Saturday the 22nd of August right through to Monday the 31st of August, the call is “poor surf conditions” every single session. The wind is hammering cross-shore at 18 to 25 mph, building lumpy cross-chop. The water temp is sitting at 81°F, which is about normal for the time of year, so nothing weird there. The swell energy is moderate, with combined energy values in the 400-600 range, but it’s all wind-affected slop. The swell is mostly short-period stuff around 7 seconds, or longer ones from the south that are getting mangled by that wind. There’s a couple of days where the swell height bumps to 5 ft, but with that cross-chop, it’s just messy. Not worth paddling out.

Then we hit the 1st of September – a Tuesday morning – and we get our first little flicker of hope. The swell is 6 ft from the east, period 9 seconds, and the energy jumps to 978. The wind drops to 12 mph, still cross-shore, but the comment changes from “poor” to “marginal.” It’s still not good, but it’s a shift. The afternoon is a bit smaller with a longer period from the south.

Wednesday the 2nd of September is where it gets interesting. The morning is still marginal, with a light breeze at 6 mph and a 3 ft south swell, period 17 seconds. But the afternoon – Wednesday afternoon – that’s the standout. The wind backs off to a gentle 9 mph from the NE, going cross-offshore, and the comment says “expect very good surf conditions.” The swell is 3 ft from the south, period 16 seconds, with moderate energy at 775. That’s a long-period groundswell, which will wrap in nicely at a reef like this, giving you clean, lined-up waves. The wind being cross-off means it’s going to be smooth. This is the best session on offer, no question. If you’re an advanced surfer, be there.

Thursday the 3rd of September, the wind swings onshore from the SSE at 9 mph, and the swell jumps to 5 ft from the ENE, but it’s short-period at 8 seconds. The morning is poor, the afternoon is only marginal with a risk of thunderstorms. The rest of the 16-day window from the 4th to the 6th of September is back to no good – strong cross-shore winds, small swell, and the word “poor” again. The wind on the 6th hits 40 mph from the NE, which is a gale. Even if it’s cross-offshore, that’s way too much for a paddle board. That setup is more interesting for kite surfers than paddle surfers.

So, to sum it up: sit tight for the first week and a half. There’s a long gap of nothing. Then on Wednesday afternoon the 2nd of September, Empty Lots has a real chance of being clean and fun. That’s your one golden window. The rest of the window after that is a bust. Don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

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