Guillotines Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. The next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag for Guillotines. We’ve got some solid windows of clean surf, but there’s also a lot of junky, onshore slop to sift through. The standout days are going to be those with light offshore winds and solid groundswell.

The Early Window (Sept 14-18)

Honestly, the start of this period is pretty grim. Monday the 14th is a write-off with light cross-onshore winds and a weak 4ft NE windswell. The energy is barely there (277), and it’s just messy. Tuesday the 15th stays average – there’s a small 2ft wave in the morning with clean conditions, but it’s super weak (112) and nothing to get excited about. The afternoon bumps up to 7ft, but the wind swings onshore and it gets poor.

Wednesday the 16th is where things start to shift. We get a fresh offshore breeze from the SSW, and the swell pushes up to 8ft in the morning with a period of 8 seconds. The energy is moderate (722), and it’s clean. The afternoon gets a bit bigger at 8ft but the wind goes cross-offshore, so it’s not as good. Still, Wednesday morning is probably the best of this early stretch.

Thursday the 17th is the real winner here. Morning has a clean 7ft SSW groundswell with a 10-second period, and light offshore winds from the south. The energy is solid (693), and conditions are clean. This is the standout of the first week. The afternoon though, the wind swings east and it gets choppy, so get on it early.

Friday and Saturday (18th & 19th) are back to junk. The swell drops right off, and we get onshore winds. Not worth paddling out.

The Mid-Period Gap

From Saturday afternoon through to the 21st, there’s a big lull. The swell just dies, and the energy readings are in the low double digits. It’s flat, and you’re not surfing.

The Second Pulse (Sept 21-24)

Monday the 21st sees a new SSW pulse arrive. The morning has a 8ft swell with a cross-offshore breeze, but it’s a bit raw and the energy is moderate (639). The afternoon is where it gets good. The swell eases to 5ft, but the period is 9 seconds, and the wind is a light cross-offshore from the SSE. The energy jumps to 706, and it’s clean. This is another strong day, maybe even better than Thursday the 17th due to the lighter winds.

Tuesday the 22nd is a step down. The swell is still there at 6ft, but it’s a long-period SSW (12s), with onshore winds. That’s a no-go. The energy is strong (1164 – that's a big number), but the wind ruins it.

Wednesday the 23rd is a different story. The morning is glassy with a 3ft SSE swell, and it’s clean. The period is a long 12 seconds, which is great for shape. The energy is moderate (309). It’s small, but it’s clean and fun. The afternoon though, the wind goes onshore and the swell gets junky.

Thursday the 24th is just average. Small 3ft and 3ft waves, clean-ish but very ordinary. Not a day to get excited about.

The Final Push (Sept 27-29)

We’ve got a big gap from Friday the 25th to Saturday the 26th – that’s mostly onshores and small, poor surf. Then Sunday the 27th afternoon is where the big stuff starts to show. A 10ft SSE swell rolls in with a 9-second period, and the energy is strong (1411). But it’s cross-shore winds, so it’s likely a messy, challenging day. This is for the experienced crew only if they’re desperate.

Monday the 28th is the big one. The morning has a 10ft S groundswell with a 12-second period and a cross-offshore wind. The energy is huge (3746), and it’s clean. This is the biggest and best day in the whole run. The afternoon drops to 7ft but the period holds at 11 seconds, and the energy is still very strong (1947). The wind stays cross-offshore and it’s clean. This is the standout of the entire forecast – for experts only.

Tuesday the 29th is still solid, but the winds turn onshore. There’s a 8ft SSE swell with a long 12-second period in the morning, but the cross-on wind will make it lumpy. That’s a shame, because the energy is still strong (1348).

So, two real standouts: Thursday the 17th morning and Monday the 28th. If you can only pick one, make it Monday. It’s bigger, cleaner, and more powerful.

Remember, water temp is running a touch warmer than average at around 64°, which is a bonus.

Alright, that’s the picture. Stay sharp and pick your moments.

Rusty

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