Freshwater West Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Gather 'round, crew. Rusty here. I've had a good look at what's coming down the pipe for Freshwater West, and I gotta be straight with you – it's a tough stretch. The forecast is dominated by onshore and cross-onshore winds, which is a real shame considering the swell keeps trying to show up. Before we even get into it, the water is running a touch warmer than normal for the time of year at 64°.

The first half of the outlook is a write-off. Thursday the 10th through to the 16th is a real frustrating run. The swell is there, but it's blown out. We're talking a fresh cross-onshore breeze and lumpy conditions, with a few days of fresh breezes and choppy surf. The combined wave energy on Thursday afternoon hits 749 (moderate), but the onshore wind just kills it. Friday the 11th sees a bit of a drop, and the wind is still cross-shore, not clean. Saturday the 12th is more of the same with a fresh onshore breeze. Sunday the 13th and Monday the 14th are moderate cross-onshore and choppy. Tuesday the 15th is clear skies but the wind is still ruining it. Even Wednesday the 16th, which has a clean cross-offshore wind in the morning, the swell is only 4 ft from the W at 10 seconds, and the combined energy is 313 (moderate). The quality is just not there.

There's a real dead zone after that. A couple of tiny, blown-out days on the 17th and 18th, and then a strong breeze makes a mess of things again on the 19th and 20th. The weekend of the 21st and 22nd is flat and weak.

Now, look ahead to Thursday the 24th of September. This is the only thing that gets my heart beating a little faster. The swell is predicted to pump up to 8 ft to 8 ft from the W with a period of 7 seconds. That's a lot of water, with the combined energy hitting 602 and 688 (moderate-strong). But here's the catch – it's onshore wind. For a spot that's exposed to the W, that onshore wind turns it into a messy, powerful beast. This is for experts only, and even then, it's more of a "hold on and hope" situation than a clean session. It's a long way off, so don't get your hopes up too high.

The real story here is a persistent run of poor surf. The wind is constantly onshore or cross-onshore, ruining what would otherwise be a decent run of swell. For a spot like Freshwater West, which is a consistent beach and reef, this is a real bummer. There's nothing here for the beginner or the intermediate looking for a clean wave. The only highlight is a potential, but very messy, big swell day for experts on the 24th. For now, keep your gear in the car and wait for the wind to change.

Rusty.

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