In Betweens Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Lookin’ at the charts for In-Betweens over the next couple of weeks, and I gotta be straight with ya – it’s a tough run. There’s surf on offer, but the wind is just about always blowin’ cross-off from the ENE, and that’s workin’ against the quality. The swell’s comin’ in from the ENE too, which ain’t the optimum SSE direction for this reef break, so the waves are gonna be lumpy and uninvitin’ for a paddle. We’re lookin’ at a stretch where the scores are real low, and the best we can hope for is a few marginal sessions.

The water temp’s sittin’ around 81°F with a +0.7°F anomaly, so pretty average for this time of year – no excuses there.

The first few days, from Saturday the 29th of August through to Tuesday the 1st of September, are basically a write-off. Swell’s around 5ft to 6ft, but the wind is a stiff 18 to 25 mph from the ENE, and the period’s a short, weak 6 to 8 seconds. The combined energy’s moderate, between 440 and 881, but it’s all messy. The surf’s labelled “poor” or “marginal at best,” so you’re better off savin’ your energy.

Wednesday the 2nd of September sees a weird shift – a 3ft swell from the S with a long 16-second period, energy at 812 (moderate). That’s a groundswell, and on a reef like this, those long-period lines could wrap in nicely. Problem is, the wind is still cross-off from the ENE at 18 mph, and the swell’s tiny. It’s a tease, but not worth paddlin’ out for.

The following week, from the 3rd to the 9th of September, is more of the same grind. Swell stays around 6ft to 8ft from the ENE, with short periods (7 to 9 seconds) and wind that won’t let up. The standout moment in this whole forecast is the afternoon of Sunday the 13th of September. We’ve got 6ft swell from the ENE at 8 seconds, but the wind drops to a light breeze at 6 mph, and the report says “expect very good surf conditions” with a score of 3. The combined energy is moderate (543), and the breeze is light, makin’ it the cleanest window we’ll see. It’s far out, but if you can wait, that’s your best bet.

Before that, on Saturday the 12th of September, the morning shows 8ft ENE swell with a 9-second period and a moderate breeze (15 mph), giving a combined energy of 1529 – that’s strong wave energy. It’s still cross-off, so it’ll be a bit raw, but for a bigger-wave session with some push, it’s worth a look. The 8ft is on the edge for beginners, but for anyone with experience, it’s got some grunt.

Overall, this is a long stretch of poor to marginal surf with persistent cross-off winds. The only real highlight is that Sunday the 13th afternoon, and even then, it’s a gamble that far out. Most days, the setup looks more suited to a kite than a paddle, given the strong winds and clean, lumpy conditions. Hang in there, mate – it’s a dry spell, but forecasts can change.

Rusty

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