Hobe Sound/The Refuge Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – if you’re looking for a pumpin’ session, this 16-day window for Hobe Sound/The Refuge is mostly a flat spell. We’ve got a real quiet start, and honestly, it’s gonna take a while before anything even worth paddling out for shows up.

Right now, the first few days are a total write-off. Monday (7th September) through to Wednesday (9th September) are all “poor surf conditions” with tiny, weak swell. The combined wave energy is pitiful – just single digits (7 to 36) – so you’re looking at 0.7ft to 1ft dribble. The wind is mostly light, but the swell just isn’t there. Tuesday (8th) does have a bit of NE swell at 11 seconds, but it’s only 1ft and the wind turns cross-on in the arvo, chopping it up. Not worth a second look.

Thursday (10th) and Friday (11th) see a tiny bump, but it’s still nothing to get excited about. The swell pushes up to 3ft on Thursday morning with energy hitting 108 (moderate), but the period is a short 8 seconds and the wind is cross-shore. Friday (11th) is the first day we get a “surfable” rating – a 1 out of 10 score. The morning sees a 2ft swell from the NE with a light cross-offshore breeze, making it clean. The combined energy is only 52 (weak), but it’s the cleanest we’ve seen. The arvo on Friday (11th) turns glassy with a 2ft swell, but it’s really small. For a desperate surfer, that Friday morning might be your best early bet, but it’s far from a standout.

After that, we hit another wall of flatness. From Saturday (12th) right through to Tuesday (15th September), the swell drops back to 0.7ft with energy in the single digits. The wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, so it’s a total loss. Then Wednesday (16th) through Friday (18th) stays tiny, with 0.7ft to 1ft and energy below 21. It’s a real dead zone.

Now, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, but it’s a long way off. The best window in this whole 16-day stretch looks to be Sunday the 20th of September. We see a 2ft to 3ft NE swell start to build. The real gem is Sunday morning (20th): a clean, gentle offshore wind from the WSW, with the combined wave energy at 52 (weak). The waves are “surfable but very ordinary” – which is about as good as it gets here. Then Sunday arvo (20th) goes glassy, with the swell staying at 3ft and energy hitting 65 (moderate). The period is a short 7 seconds, so it won’t have much punch, but with glassy conditions, it’ll be clean. That Sunday is the standout – the only day where the wind and swell align for a proper session. Monday (21st) is a bit bigger but gets cross-onshore, so it’s messy.

For the whole period, the water temp is about average for the time of year, no big anomalies to report. Keep in mind that the NE swell direction is a good match for this exposed spot, but the size never gets above 4ft, so it’s not too big for beginners, just frustratingly small. The crowds at Hobe Sound can show up sometimes, but with these waves, it’ll be quiet.

So, bottom line: if you can wait, pencil in Sunday the 20th of September. The morning offshore or the glassy arvo are your best shots. The rest of the run is a real snoozer. Stay patient, or go find a lake.

Rusty.

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