FA's Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let's have a look at what's on the table for FA's over the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with you—this is a proper slow start. We're looking at a good ten days or so of pretty much nothing worth paddling out for. From Monday the 14th through to the morning of Wednesday the 23rd, it’s all tiny, blown-out, or just plain messy. You'll see numbers like 2 ft to 2 ft, mostly onshore or cross-onshore winds, and weak energy readings, mostly well under 100 (like 42, 37, 48). There's a couple of glassy mornings on the 20th and 23rd, but with swell under 1 ft and energy levels at 27 and 16, you'd be fighting for a ripple, not a wave. Not worth the wetsuit drama.

Now, things finally start to stir around on Friday the 25th of September. That morning we get a bit of a surprise—clean, glassy conditions with a 5 ft swell showing up from the ENE. The period is a short 6 seconds though, so it's a bit of a lumpy, wind-swell combo, but with the light westerly making it glassy, it's a "surfable but very ordinary" kinda deal. Energy is up to a moderate 188, so there's something there, just not particularly well-shaped.

The real standout, the only one worth circling on your calendar, is Saturday the 26th of September and into Sunday morning the 27th. Saturday afternoon is the pick. The swell builds to a solid 6 ft from the ENE, and we get a proper offshore wind from the WNW at 15 km/h (9 mph). That's "gentle offshore and clean" conditions, and the energy jumps right up to 470—that's strong, pushing into the surf zone. The period is only 7 seconds, so it's still a wind-swell pulse, but that offshore wind will groom it nicely. This is going to be punchy, peaky, and fun for an intermediate surfer. It's a bit too much for a beginner though, as it's over 5 ft. Sunday morning keeps the goods with a 6 ft ENE swell, cross-off winds from the NNW, and energy at 551, still looking clean. Just be aware that the swell direction is ENE, and the optimum for this break is SSE. It's a bit of a cross-up, but with that much energy and clean wind, there'll be waves to be had.

By Sunday afternoon the wind swings onshore from the NE and it gets choppy again, so make sure you're out there earlier. The Monday the 28th morning has some long-period groundswell at 11 seconds and a 4 ft swell, but it's a bit of a gamble with cross-shore wind. That long period can make beach breaks tricky, and it might be too straight.

So, to sum it up: completely flat for ten days, then a glimmer on the 25th, and then a proper little window on the weekend of the 26th-27th. Get in the water Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning for the best of it. The water temp anomaly is not given in the data, but it’ll be what it is for the time of year.

- Rusty

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