Horseneck Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what Horseneck Beach has in store for us over the next couple of weeks. Straight up, I gotta be honest with you – it’s a pretty lean run. The first few days are a real struggle, and we’re looking at a long quiet spell before anything even starts to look like a proper wave. If you’re hanging out for a surf, you’re going to need some patience.

Right now, starting Sunday the 6th of September, it’s flat. I mean, really flat. We’re talking knee-high dribble at best, with a tiny 0.7ft swell from the SSW and a period of only 6 seconds. The wind is a cross-offshore from the NNE, so the surface is clean, but there’s just no juice. The combined energy is a measly 8 – that’s barely a ripple. Sunday afternoon goes glassy but the swell drops even further. Monday the 7th is more of the same – tiny 0.3ft with a clean offshore wind, but it’s just not worth paddling out for. This pattern of tiny, weak surf and poor conditions pretty much continues all the way through to the end of the first week. We do see a bit of a pulse on Thursday the 10th, with the swell building to 5ft in the morning and 5ft in the afternoon from the SSW, but the wind is a messy cross-shore at 16 mph, making it choppy and ugly. The energy picks up to 187 and then 230, but it’s all wind-slop, not a clean wave. For a beginner-friendly sandbar like Horseneck, that’s a no-go.

We get a bit of a breather on Friday the 11th and Saturday the 12th, but the swell drops back to under 2ft – still not enough to get excited about.

Now, the real glimmer of hope, and the only thing I’d even consider circling on the calendar, is the middle of the second week. On Thursday the 17th of September, we finally see a more organised swell moving in. The morning brings a 4ft swell from the east with a clean cross-offshore wind from the NE. The combined energy is 65 – still weak, but it’s a start. The real standout, though, is Friday the 18th of September. The morning session sees the swell size jump to 6ft from the ESE. Now, that’s a proper size. The period is short at 5 seconds, so it’s windswell, but the energy is solid at 173. The wind is a moderate cross-shore, so it’ll be a bit rough, but there’s power there. The afternoon on Friday the 18th looks better for the more experienced crew. The swell drops back to 3ft from the SE, but the period stretches to 9 seconds and the wind swings to a cleaner cross-off from the NE, giving us a smooth surface. The energy is 115. For a beach break, that combination of cleaner conditions and a little more period could actually produce some fun, rideable waves. Saturday the 19th is clean but the swell fades quickly to 2ft.

So, the only real shot we have in this whole 16-day window is the middle of the second week, specifically Thursday the 17th and Friday the 18th of September. The morning of the 18th has the most size, but the afternoon of the 18th looks cleaner. For a beginner spot, the 6ft on Friday morning might be pushing it a bit, but for an intermediate surfer, that’s the best on offer. The rest of the time, it’s a flat spell you’d be better off spending doing something else.

Stay frothy, but be realistic. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

- Rusty

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