Freshwater and Harbord Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a yarn about what’s coming our way at Freshwater and Harbord.

Look, I’ll be straight with you – the next 16 days are a real mixed bag, and honestly, there’s a lot of flat, ordinary slop to wade through before anything worth paddling out for. We’ve got a big gap of nothing much for the first week and a half, so don’t be in a rush.

Starting off now, right through until about the 21st of September, it’s mostly flat to tiny, and when there is a ripple, the wind’s junk. Wednesday the 16th is a write-off with a fresh cross-onshore breeze smashing a tiny 0.7ft swell. Thursday’s no better – knee-high dribble. Friday morning the 18th, the wind goes glassy but the swell’s a pathetic 2ft from the SE with a short period of 7 seconds – it’s clean but won’t break. The weekend and the start of next week are mostly flat, with a few tiny bumps that aren’t worth your time. It’s a long, blank run.

Now here’s where it gets interesting. We start to see some life around the 22nd of September, but it’s not for everyone. On Tuesday the 22nd, the swell jumps to 6ft from the SSE, with a solid energy reading (322), but the period is short (7 secs) and the wind is a fresh cross-onshore – that’s a lumpy, choppy mess. This is a beach setup, so that combo will be blown out. For the kite crew, that afternoon could be more interesting than for us.

The real window opens up from the 25th of September onwards. Friday the 25th morning, we get a clean 4ft swell from the ENE with a moderate cross-offshore breeze – that’s surfable. The energy is moderate (137). That afternoon picks up to 5ft from the NE, but the wind goes cross-shore and lumps it up a bit.

The standout period is the 26th through to the 28th of September. Saturday the 26th morning is the pick of the bunch – a clean 5ft swell from the ENE, 8-second period (so a bit more push), and a gentle cross-offshore breeze. The combined energy is 229, which is solid. This is the best clean conditions we’ll see for a while. The crowd profile says “often,” so expect a few others out there with you.

Sunday the 27th is also clean in the morning – 4ft from the ENE, 8 secs – but the wind picks up in the arvo. Monday the 28th morning offers another clean window with 5ft from the NE, but the afternoon gets a fresh cross-shore.

So, the best on offer: Saturday the 26th of September, early. You’ll score clean, 5ft sets from the ENE – head-high waves with decent energy (229) and light winds. It’s the one to circle. The water temp is right around average for this time of year, about 63°, nothing weird.

Looking into the start of October, Thursday the 1st has a promising 4ft swell from the ENE with a longer 9-second period and a light onshore wind, but the energy is strong (280). It could be clean early, but it’s a long way out – keep an eye on it.

Right, that’s the story. A long flat spell, then a solid few days of clean, head-high waves to close out September. Get in while it’s good.

Rusty.

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