Gorleston on Sea Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what’s on the menu for our local stretch over the next couple of weeks.

To be straight with you, it’s a pretty bleak picture for us. We’re looking at a long, flat spell with nothing worth paddling out for until well into the second week. From now through the 15th of September, the wave energy is basically zero to very weak, with combined swell energy readings barely ticking over (2 to 23 in the brackets). The water temp right now is sitting at a touch warmer than normal for the time of year, around 66°F, which is nice for a dip but there’s nothing to ride.

Things finally start to show some life on the 16th of September. Wednesday afternoon sees a bit of a pulse with a 4ft swell from the north, period around 6 seconds. It’s short-period, wind-affected stuff, but the energy picks up to a moderate level (105). The wind is a cross-offshore from the NNW at 19 mph, which will keep the surface fairly clean. It’s not a standout, but it’s the first sign of life.

The best window we’ve got in this whole 16-day stretch is the morning of the 17th of September at Gorleston on Sea. We’ve got a 4ft swell from the north-northeast with a period of 6 seconds. The combined energy is 87, so still on the weaker side of moderate, but the wind is light offshore from the west-northwest at 6 mph. That’s going to give us clean, lined-up waves. The consistency is listed as inconsistent, so don’t expect a conveyor belt, but the wind is good and the size is manageable for most. The swell direction is from the NNE, which is not the absolute optimum for this spot (which prefers a northerly direction), but it’s close enough to work.

That morning of the 17th is the only time I’d really point you to the water. After lunch that same day, the wind swings onshore and the quality drops fast. The 18th of September has another 5ft NNE swell in the morning, but the energy is slightly stronger (151) and the wind is cross-off from the south. It’s surfable, but ordinary.

From the 20th onwards, we get some strong offshore winds (gusting to 25 mph on the 20th), which is great for cleaning things up, but the swell drops right back down to under 2ft. It’s mostly knee-to-waist high at best, with very low energy. The 22nd has a glassy afternoon with a 3ft NE swell, but again, the size is marginal.

Bottom line: The standout is the morning of the 17th. The rest is a waiting game, with a lot of flat, calm days and only small, weak swells in between. Don’t hold your breath for magic.

Rusty.

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