Houghton Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. We’ve got a bit of a mixed bag for Houghton Bay over the next couple of weeks. The water’s sitting at 56°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so that’s a nice little bonus.

The first real action kicks off on Tuesday, the 1st of September. The morning brings a solid 13ft SSW swell, but it’s cross-on with a light breeze. That’s more of a power session, and with all that energy (7729), it’s gonna be a big, full-on paddle. The afternoon is the standout though – a clean 12ft south swell with a 12-second period and a moderate offshore wind from the NNW. That’s excellent for experienced surfers only; it’s big, powerful, and will be offering up some proper walls. This is the best on offer.

Wednesday the 2nd still has some decent size, 7ft to 8ft, and a clean offshore breeze in the morning, but it’s a bit mixed. The swell direction is southerly, and the period stretches to 13-14 seconds, so it’s got some long-period groundswell character. That’s good for shape, but at a beach-and-reef setup, it can be a bit straight. The afternoon gets a bit windier.

After that, the surf drops right off. From Thursday the 3rd right through to Monday the 7th, it’s mostly small, weak, and blown out. The combined energy (416) is low, and we’re seeing a lot of strong winds and cross-off conditions. There’s a little window on Saturday morning, the 5th, with a gentle offshore and a tiny 1.0ft swell, but it’s barely surfable.

Then we get a bit of a reset. Tuesday the 8th of September has a glassy morning with 6ft of south swell and a 10-second period (602 energy). That’s clean and inviting, a good option for intermediates. The afternoon has a moderate offshore, but it’s smaller.

The second week looks a bit grim. From Wednesday the 9th, we’re into a run of strong onshore winds and building swell that’s just messy. The 10th to the 11th sees 10ft to 15ft of south swell, but it’s hammered by strong southerly winds. That’s a big, messy, dangerous ocean – more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle one. The energy is high (3113), but the quality is zero.

The 12th and 13th settle down a bit, with 5ft to 5ft swell, but still onshore and choppy. Not worth the drive. The 14th is tiny and weak.

The last real hope is on Tuesday the 15th. The morning shows a 5ft SSW swell with a 14-second period and a moderate offshore wind from the NNW. That’s a long-period groundswell with clean conditions. The energy is moderate (705), and it’s a promising option but it’s far out, so don’t lock it in just yet.

So, if you’re an experienced surfer, Tuesday the 1st afternoon is the one to circle. For the rest, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

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