Houghton Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into what’s happening at Houghton Bay over the next couple weeks.

First off, the next few days are pretty much a bust. There’s some swell on the charts, but the wind is absolutely howling – near-gale from the NW, chopping up what little, weak energy there is. Sunday and Monday morning you’re looking at tiny 1ft to 2ft swell from the S with only 39 to 24 units of combined energy – just not worth wettin’ a wetsuit for. So the start is a quiet one.

Now, Monday the 24th shows some life in the afternoon. The wind swings offshore from the NNW at a fresh 19 mph, and we get a 7ft SSW swell that’s got some proper weight to it, carryin’ a solid 1,278 units of combined energy (moderate wave energy). It’s a bit beefy for beginners, and the period’s a healthy 13 seconds – a proper groundswell. That long period can make Houghton Bay break a bit straight, but with that clean offshore wind, it should be shapin’ up real nice for the intermediate crew. Water temp feels about average. Watch for crowds – this spot can get busy when it’s clean.

The rest of that week is a mixed bag. Tuesday the 25th gets messy with cross-off winds and smaller, weaker swell. Wednesday the 26th morning has a clean 3ft SSW groundswell from 14 seconds with a moderate offshore – but the energy’s weak at 295 units, so it’s small and a bit gutless. Thursday and Friday get hammered by strong to near-gale winds again, ruinin’ what could’ve been decent, longer-period swells. Saturday the 29th has a weird one: a 7ft S swell with a super short 6-second period in the morning under a fresh offshore – that’s basically windswell, weak and bumpy. The afternoon has the same size but onshore with a slightly longer period, still not great.

Then we hit a lull. Sunday the 30th and Monday the 31st see the wind pick up, but Monday afternoon brings in a 7ft SSW swell at 12 seconds with a clean cross-off wind and 1,131 units of energy – that’s a decent lookin’ wave if the wind behaves. Tuesday the 1st of September is another standout window. The morning has a solid 8ft S swell, long 14-second period, and a moderate offshore breeze. That’s a powerful, clean wave with 2,667 units of combined energy (strong wave energy). That’s borderin’ on expert territory size-wise, but for those who can handle it, that’s a proper session. The wind stays cross-off in the afternoon but gets stronger.

We get another quiet spell after that with strong winds and messy conditions until Thursday the 3rd of September morning. That morning looks magic: a slight 6 mph breeze, clear skies, and a beautiful 3ft SSW groundswell with a very long 16-second period. The combined energy is 761 units – moderate, but that period means it’s got a heap of push for its size. That’s a point-break style wave that could be glassy and perfect for a lonelier, more considered paddle. After that, the wind just goes bonkers again – gale-force offshore that’s nearly impossible to paddle into – and the swell gets messy and big but blown out.

Now, for the absolute best of the best, you gotta circle Sunday the 6th of September. The morning brings a clean 6ft SSW swell at 12 seconds with a moderate offshore NNW wind, and the combined energy is a solid 1,034 units. That’s an excellent, powerful, clean wave for experienced surfers. It’s not a beginner wave at that size. Afternoon gets messy with stronger cross-off wind, but that morning window is the one to mark. It’s a week and a half away, so take it with a grain of salt, but the signs are real good.

Overall, we’ve got a few decent windows scattered through, but the wind is the real enemy here. The top picks are Monday the 24th afternoon for a solid, offshore cleanup, Tuesday the 1st of September morning for size and power, and then Sunday the 6th of September morning as the true standout – clean, powerful, and well-shaped.

Rusty.

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