Hobson County Park Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you – it’s gonna be a rough stretch for a while. We’re looking at a long, dry spell where the ocean just isn’t cooperating for paddle surfing. Let's get into it.

The first few days, starting Thursday the 3rd of September, are a total bust. We’re seeing tiny, weak swell – think 1 ft from the SW with a super long 15-second period, but the wind is all wrong. The combined wave energy is a weak 121, and the water is running about 70°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year. But don’t let that fool you; the conditions are poor. That long-period groundswell wants a point or reef to wrap around, and with the onshore wind at Hobson County Park, it’s just a mess.

This poor run continues day after day. Friday the 4th, Saturday the 5th, Sunday the 6th – the swell stays below 2 ft with cross-on or onshore winds. By Monday the 7th, the period drops to a short 9 seconds, and the energy plummets to 39. It’s flat, it’s junky, and it’s not worth paddling out.

We get a slight uptick in size on Tuesday the 8th – the swell bumps up to 4 ft from the SSW with a 13-second period. The combined energy jumps to a moderate 457, which sounds promising. But the data keeps saying "poor surf conditions." The wind is onshore, and for a reef break like Hobson, that onshore wind is going to kill any chance of a clean face. Wednesday the 9th looks similar with 3 ft of SSW swell and 402 energy, but still onshore. By Wednesday afternoon, the condition rating moves from poor to “marginal” with a score of 1, meaning the tide might be playing tricks. Still, it’s not a goer.

From Thursday the 10th through to the 18th of September, we’re stuck in a loop of small to tiny swell, often under 3 ft, with wind either onshore or cross-onshore. The wave energy is weak, sitting under 300 for most of it, and sometimes dropping below 100. There’s one morning on Thursday the 10th where the wind goes cross-offshore from the SSE, and the waves are described as "clean" at 2 ft. That’s the only glimmer of a clean face, but the swell is just too small to do anything with.

Honestly, for the entire 16-day outlook, there isn't a single standout session. The wind is predominantly onshore, the swell is either tiny or mismanaged by the wind, and the break just isn't firing. With this persistent onshore wind and only weak to moderate energy, the setup here at Hobson County Park looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

There is a gap of no surf recommendations right from the start, lasting the whole forecast period. Nothing is on offer. A blank run like this is unusual, but when the wind doesn't play ball and the swell is small, it happens. Keep an eye on the forecast – it tends not to stay this poor for long.

Rusty, signing off.

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