Harlyn Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a proper look at what’s on offer for the coming weeks. I’ll level with ya, it’s been a tough run for Harlyn. The pattern for the bulk of this forecast is a whole lot of wind and not much quality. There’s a gap of several days with nothing worthwhile, and then we get a whisper of hope right at the back end, but it’s a long wait.

We kick off on Thursday, the 3rd of September, and honestly? Don’t even bother waddling down. Cross-off winds are howling at 16 mph and the swell is a messy 5 ft from the west with a short period of 8 seconds. The combined energy is a moderate 284, but the conditions are poor. That theme carries right through Friday and the weekend – the swell bumps up over 7 ft on Friday with a cross-onshore wind, and on Saturday morning we get a glimpse of something better with glassy conditions and a 5 ft swell from the WNW, but the score is low. It’s surfable, but ordinary. The water temp is about average for the time of year here at Harlyn, nothing unusual to report.

The real kicker comes on Monday the 7th of September. The swell jumps to 7 ft from the west with a long period of 12 seconds – that’s proper groundswell energy. The combined energy is a strong 1347, which sounds exciting. But the wind is a cross-shore breeze at 16 mph, and the wave comment says poor. That’s a shame, because that long period would usually shape up nicely, but it’s too blown out. Tuesday the 8th is even bigger, hitting 10 ft from the west with a short, punchy 9 second period. That’s expert territory only, and with fresh cross-shore winds at 22 mph, it’s a lumpy mess. I’d say this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing on those days.

After that, the swell drops off and we get a real flat spell. From the 10th through to the 16th, it’s mostly small, weak swell with onshore winds or poor conditions. The morning of Tuesday the 15th of September offers a glimmer of hope – glassy conditions with a 3 ft swell from the west at 10 seconds, and the energy is 261. It’s surfable, but nothing to write home about.

The one true standout, and I mean the only one worth circling on your calendar, is Saturday morning the 5th of September. It’s a clear, glassy morning with that offshore wind from the WSW at just 3 mph. The swell is 5 ft from the WNW with a period of 11 seconds – that’s long-period groundswell. The combined energy is a moderate 476. This is the pick of the bunch. The wind is glass, the swell has shape, and while the break is inconsistent, when a set rolls through at Harlyn it’ll be clean and fun for a beginner-friendly wave. The size is fine for most. It’s the only time in the whole 16-day window where the stars align.

Everything else is a write-off. The second week is particularly bleak – small, weak swell and onshore winds dominate through to the 18th of September. There’s just nothing happening.

So, my advice? If you’re keen, you’ve got one morning – Saturday the 5th of September. Set the alarm for dawn, because that glassy, 5 ft WNW swell is the only real window of quality in this whole outlook.

Rusty.

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