Freshwater Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright mate, Rusty here, looking at what’s cookin’ for Freshwater Bay over the next couple of weeks. Gotta be straight with ya—this stretch is lookin’ pretty grim for a paddle. The first ten days are basically a write-off; there’s nothing worth wettin’ a wetsuit for until Friday the 11th of September.

The whole first week and a bit is just constant onshore, cross-shore junk. We get a bump on Thursday the 3rd with swell hittin’ 5ft, but it’s coming from the WSW at a short, weak 6 seconds and a nasty 30 km/h cross-wind. That’s 151 (moderate energy) of raw, lumpy chop. Not surfable—more like a white-knuckle kite session if you’re into that. Even when the wind cleans up on the 4th and 5th, the swell is either tiny or gone. There’s a glassy morning on the 7th, but with a 0.3ft swell, you’d be floatin’ on a pond.

Then Tuesday the 8th throws a bit of a tantrum: 7ft of WSW windswell, but that’s 320 (strong energy) of messy, cross-shore garbage. Too big and too ugly for a beginner, and just frustrating for anyone else. That pattern of poor surf and strong wind runs right through to the 10th.

Finally, a glimmer. Friday the 11th of September is your only real shout. The morning session is the standout. We get 4ft of SW groundswell, with a period of 8 seconds—decent energy, with 212 (moderate) in the water. What makes it special is the wind: a light 10 km/h NNE breeze blowin’ cross-offshore, makin’ for clean, lined-up waves. This is a reef and point break (Freshwater Bay), so that longer period swell will wrap in nicely and hold its shape. It’s a fairly consistent spot, but you might be sharing it—crowds are sometimes a thing here. For an intermediate surfer, this is the pick of the whole 16 days. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothin’ wild.

The afternoon of the 11th turns to crap with onshore wind, and after that, we’re back to small, weak, and messy for the rest of the run. Saturday the 12th is glassy in the afternoon, but with only 2ft on offer, you’re better off savin’ the energy for that Friday morning. The 15th sees a bit more size at 5ft from the east, but the period’s short and the wind is cross or cross-on; it’s not gonna deliver.

So to wrap it up: one morning, one window. Friday the 11th of September, early. Get out there. Otherwise, the bay is asleep.

Rusty.

Read more