Houghton Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Houghton Bay over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a bit of a flat, grotty start. Monday the 7th is a write-off – cross-on wind, lumpy, and just poor. You’d be wasting your time. But hang tight, because things start to turn around.

Tuesday morning the 8th is the first real glimmer. We’ve got glassy conditions with a light 2ft south swell, period around 10 seconds. The water is a touch warmer than normal at 57°, which is a nice little bonus. It’s not big, but it’s clean and surfable – a good one for a longboard or a funboard to get the kinks out. The energy is low, around 120 (moderate energy), so don’t expect any power, but the clean face will be welcome.

Wednesday morning the 9th keeps it small with a 2ft east-southeast swell, and the wind goes offshore. It’s clean, but tiny. The energy is weak (74). You’d be scratching for something to ride.

The real action, the standout window, kicks off on Saturday the 12th. Saturday morning brings a 3ft south-southwest swell with a 13-second period, clean conditions and light wind. The combined energy is moderate (333). It’s a good, clean start to the weekend.

But the main event is Saturday afternoon (12th September). The wind swings offshore from the north-northwest, and the swell jumps to 7ft from the south, 12-second period. The energy rockets up to 1194, which is strong. This is a proper groundswell. The water’s still that touch warmer than normal. It’s a bit punchy, and the period is long enough to make it a bit peaky, but for experienced surfers, this is the best on offer. The crowd situation here is “sometimes,” so keep an eye out, but it’ll be worth it.

Sunday morning the 13th is the absolute gem. Offshore wind from the north-northwest, a solid 6ft swell from the south-southwest, and a very long 15-second period. The combined energy is 1275 – strong and powerful. The description says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” This is the one to circle. The long period means the waves will have real shape and power, and they’ll be clean. If you can handle it, this is your session. The afternoon gets messy with cross-on wind, so hit the morning.

Monday the 14th keeps the run going. Morning and afternoon both have offshore wind and a 6ft to 6ft south swell around 12-13 seconds, energy around 884-1121. Very good, clean waves. The crowd factor is still just “sometimes,” so you’ve got a good chance at a quiet peak.

After that, things get windier and more inconsistent. The wind cranks up on Tuesday the 15th, making it hard to paddle into. The swell drops and the conditions get blown out through the middle of the week. There’s a gap of poor to marginal days from the 15th afternoon through to the 18th.

Then, on Saturday the 19th we get another big pulse. The morning sees a 10ft south-southwest swell with a 10-second period, light wind, but it’s onshore. The energy is very strong (1669). That’s big – expert-only territory, and the onshore wind will make it a messy, challenging beast. The afternoon cleans up with offshore wind and a 6ft swell, so that’s the better part of that day.

The final call is Monday the 21st. A big, short-period south swell pushes in, 8ft to 10ft with a 7-second period. The energy is strong (677-1001). The wind is offshore and clean. But the period is so short it’ll be a close-out, chunky mess. Not recommended for paddle surfing – that short-period, big swell with offshore wind is prime kite surfing territory if you’re into that.

So, overall: The standout is Sunday morning the 13th – big, clean, long-period groundswell from the south-southwest at 6ft. Saturday afternoon the 12th is your second-best call, with a solid 7ft south swell and offshore wind. Get on it.

Rusty.

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