Hennemans Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s break it down. Rusty here, looking at the sixteen-day picture for Hennemans.

Straight up, I’ll be honest with you – this isn’t looking like a classic run. The forecast is pretty slim for the first week and a half, with only a few glimmers of hope. The main issue is that we’ve got a lot of onshore and cross-shore winds messing up what could be a fun little wave. The combination of small swell and poor wind makes for a frustrating stretch.

We start off with a bit of a dud. Into Monday the 31st of August, Hennemans is seeing a small 3ft S swell, but it’s coming in with a cross-on wind. The wave energy is moderate at 441 and the period is a decent 12 seconds, but the wind is just ruining it. It’s poor surf conditions, and the morning is especially choppy.

Tuesday the 1st of September is more of the same, with the swell dropping to 2ft and the wind staying cross-on. The wave energy dips to 244, and the whole day is a write-off. Wednesday the 2nd starts to show a tiny bit of life with a light cross-shore wind and a 3ft SSW swell, but the score is still a marginal 1. The set-up is just too small and messy.

The first real standout comes late in the week. Saturday, the 5th of September, is the best early option. We’ve got a 3ft to 4ft SSW swell with a solid 14 to 16-second period, and by the afternoon the wind swings to a light offshore from the SSW. The wave energy is strong at 881 and 929, and the conditions scrub up to clean. The swell direction is from the SSW, which is a good match for the optimum W direction, so it’ll wrap in nicely. This is a reef break, so that long period will give it some proper shape. Crowds are “sometimes” possible, so keep an eye out, but it’s worth the paddle. This is the pick of the first week.

A word on the water temp: for Hennemans, it’s about average for this time of year, so no wetsuit drama.

Sunday, the 6th of September, sees a jump in size. We’ve got a 8ft to 7ft SSW swell, with a 15-second period, and the wind shifts to a solid cross-offshore from the N. The wave energy is very strong at 2233 and 1937. The morning session is clean, but the afternoon brings heavy rain. Still, this is a proper groundswell. For experienced surfers, the morning could be a blast. For beginners, this is pushing into expert territory at over 7ft, so be careful.

After that, the outlook goes quiet again. Monday the 7th is a mess with strong cross-winds and an 8ft swell that’s blown out, and the rest of the second week returns to small, weak swells with cross-on or cross-shore wind. The period drops off, the energy sits below 500, and the conditions are poor. The 14th of September shows a 2ft swell with a 17-second period, but the wave energy is weak at 262.

The final day, Tuesday the 15th of September, has a 3ft W swell with a short 9-second period and a light onshore wind, but it’s another marginal call.

So, to wrap it up: the best on offer is Saturday the 5th of September for the clean, lined-up sets, and Sunday the 6th of September for the bigger, more powerful swell if you’ve got the skills. The gap after that is long and empty, with nothing really worth paddling out for until the end of the run. Forecasts can change, but right now, pick your windows carefully.

Rusty.

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