Gilligans Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

To be straight with you, the first week or so is a bit of a grind. The swell is solid, no doubt, but the wind is a constant problem. The surf is there, but it’s messy and choppy, more of a struggle than a session. We’ve got a long run of marginal conditions from Thursday the 10th right through to the end of the following week. The real standout action is a long way off, but it looks like it’ll be worth the wait.

The only spot on the radar here is Gilligans, a reef break that’s very consistent and exposed to the SW swell. The water temp is sitting around 84°, which is about average for this time of year.

The first few days, from Thursday the 10th through to Monday the 14th, see a solid SW swell, building from 6 ft up to 8 ft. The energy is strong, with readings in the 2000 to 3800 range. But the wind is the enemy. It’s blowing from the SSE at 15 to 16 mph, keeping it either cross or cross-on. It’s choppy and lumpy, and honestly, not worth paddling out for. The period is long, between 15 and 19 seconds, which means there’s proper groundswell energy, but the wind is just ruining it. This stretch is a write-off.

Things stay pretty average through the middle of the month. The swell does drop a little from the 15th to the 18th, settling around 5 ft to 6 ft, but the wind just keeps messing it up. It’s still mostly cross-shore, and the energy is dropping, getting down into the 900s. A few of these afternoons are rated as poor, so don’t get excited.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The weekend of the 19th and 20th of September is looking like the real deal. On Saturday the 19th, we’ve got a 6 ft SSW swell with a 17-second period, a light ESE breeze at 6 mph making it clean, and the energy is back up to a strong 2207. This is the kind of window you wait for. Then Sunday the 20th is even better. The swell bumps up to 8 ft from the SSW, still a solid 16-second period, but the wind swings to a light WNW and goes glassy in the afternoon. The energy is a very strong 2446. These are clean, powerful conditions for experienced surfers. The wave direction is matching the optimum SW swell direction, and the reef should handle that long period energy well. Keep in mind, with the swell over 8 ft on Sunday, this is for the experienced crew only.

The start of the next week, the 21st and 22nd, still has some clean windows. Monday morning the 21st has a 6 ft SSW swell with a light offshore N breeze, and Tuesday morning the 22nd is glassy with a 5 ft SSW swell. Mid-week, the 23rd and 24th, the swell drops a touch but we get another clean morning on the 23rd with a 6 ft S swell and a light ESE wind. After that, the signal fades, and the last couple of days of September look flat and weak, with the energy dropping below 1000.

So, the takeaway? The first week is a right-off with the wind. The standout is the weekend of September 19th and 20th at Gilligans. Saturday looks good, but Sunday the 20th with that glassy afternoon session is the pick of the whole forecast. Mark it in the calendar.

Rusty.

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