Hennemans Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, grab a seat. It’s Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for Hennemans for the next couple of weeks. Let me tell you straight, it’s a pretty quiet stretch, so don’t get too amped. This reef is a bit inconsistent at the best of times, and we’re not looking at a period that’s going to be setting the world on fire.

The water’s sitting at about 75°, which is a good seven degrees warmer than you’d expect for this time of year – that’s a real standout, properly unusual, and you’d be mad not to appreciate it when you’re sitting out there.

Right, from the start of this run on Wednesday the 5th, it’s all pretty marginal. We’ve got some small, weak swell in the water, around 2ft from the SW, with a period of about 14 seconds. The energy is moderate, sitting at 159. But the wind’s messing with it – a light cross-onshore breeze is putting a few ripples on the surface. It’s not clean, you’re battling a bit of chop, and honestly, it’s not worth getting wet for.

The pattern holds for the rest of the first week. The swell drops back a touch, the period stays in that low-to-mid teens range, and the wind stays mostly cross-on. The energy does build a bit, but it’s not translating into anything rideable. It’s all just a bit mushy and uninteresting. We see this through to Monday the 10th and Tuesday the 11th, where the period lifts to a more promising 18 seconds, a proper groundswell, but it’s still only pushing 1-2ft. That long period is a tease – the energy’s there but the size just isn’t, and the onshore wind is making it messy.

Now, the second week starts to look a little more promising. We get into Thursday the 14th and the energy starts to climb, with values getting up to 515 and 654. The swell is still small, 2-3ft, but the period stays long at 18 seconds. It’s still not going to be a classic, but it’s the first time it starts to feel like there’s a pulse. The Friday the 15th sees the swell nudge up to 4ft by the afternoon, and the energy remains solid, but again, that cross-onshore wind is just keeping the surface lumpy.

Honestly, through the rest of the run, there’s nothing that’s going to have you calling in sick. The swell stays small, bouncing between 2ft and 3ft, and the wind keeps a cross/cross-on component to it. The energy fluctuates, but the quality never really arrives. One day, the 18th, does see the period drop back to 14 seconds, which is less ideal.

So, here’s the bottom line. There are no poor surf options, there are *no* surf options. It’s a pretty barren 16-day window. If you’re desperate for a paddle, you could look at the 14th and 15th – the energy is highest and the period is long – but you’d be fighting a bumpy surface for a knee-high wave. The water will be warm, but the waves won’t be. It might be one of those rare times when the setup looks more interesting for a bit of kite-surfing than paddle-surfing with the combined energy and cross-shore winds. We just have to roll with it. This reef is inconsistent, so a blank run isn't exactly out of the ordinary. Forecasts can change, so keep an eye on it, but right now, I’d leave the board in the car.

Rusty.

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