Horace Caldwell Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – if you’re lookin’ for a proper surf session over the next couple of weeks at Horace Caldwell Pier, you’re gonna be waitin’ a long time. This is one of those stretches where the ocean just isn’t playin’ ball. The whole 16-day window is basically a write-off for paddle surfing, with nothing but small, weak, and messy conditions on offer.

We start off with a real flat spell. Tuesday morning on the 1st of September has the smallest bit of swell, a tiny 1 ft from the SSE, but with a period of only 4 seconds and no energy behind it (12), it’s just not worth paddling out for. That pattern holds firm through the whole first week and into the second. The swell barely cracks 3 ft, and when it does, the wind is all wrong – mostly onshore or cross-onshore, chopping everything up. The combined wave energy stays weak, often below 100, just lifeless.

As we move into the second week, around the 10th and 11th of September, we do see the swell start to push up a bit – hitting 5 ft on the Friday with a period of 7 seconds and energy climbing over 200 (204 to 216). That sounds like something, but here’s the kicker: the wind is howling from the SSE at 19 mph, hammering it onshore. The wave comment says it all: “poor surf conditions.” That kind of setup with a beach/pier break is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing – it’s lumpy, bumpy, and blown out.

Even by the 14th and 15th, we get some 4 ft swells, but again, the period is short (6 seconds) and the wind is either on or cross-on. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so no excuses there.

The only tiny glimmer comes on the very last day – Wednesday morning, 16th September. We finally get a 4 ft SE swell with glassy conditions and a light WSW breeze. The wave comment upgrades to “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” and the energy is still weak (75). It’s not good, but if you’re absolutely desperate, you could probably sit out there and catch a few knee-high lumps with no wind chop. But don’t expect any quality.

So the honest truth? This is a 16-day gap with no real standouts. Nothin’ to get excited about. But that’s the way it goes sometimes – forecasts can change, and it tends not to stay this poor forever. For now, keep the board in the car and wait for a better day.

Rusty.

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