Indicator Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you—this stretch of coast is looking pretty flat and pretty ordinary for a good while. We’ve got a long, boring gap ahead before anything worth paddling out for shows up.

The next week is basically a write-off. From Saturday the 29th right through to Wednesday the 9th of September, the swell is tiny, the wind is mostly cross-onshore or just messy, and there’s no energy to speak of. The odd morning might look clean, but the waves are small and weak, not enough to get excited about. That long stretch of nothing will test your patience. We’re talking a solid ten days of barely rideable slop.

Now, the first real sign of life shows up on Thursday the 10th of September. The wind swings offshore—light, clean, and glassy—and we finally get some proper swell direction out of the southwest. It’s not big, around 2ft, but the period stretches out to 16-17 seconds, which is a proper groundswell. The combined energy jumps to 313-317 (moderate), which tells you there’s finally some push behind it. This is the standout of the whole window, and it’s not even close. The conditions look clean all day, and a reef and point set-up like Indicator (North Shore) is going to handle that long-period energy well. The swell direction from the SW is right in the pocket of the optimum direction too. This is your window if you’ve been jonesing for a surf. Crowds are possible here, so get out early.

Friday the 11th and Saturday the 12th are still surfable, with the swell still holding around 2-2ft from the SW, but the energy drops off and it’s a bit more ordinary. Still clean in the mornings, but the magic is gone. After that, it fades away again into the following week, with smaller waves and more cross-onshore junk. There are some longer-period pulses showing up around the 13th, but the wind turns against us, so it’s not worth chasing.

Water temp is sitting around 74°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year—by over 7 degrees. That’s a standout, so at least you’ll be warm while you’re staring at the flatness.

So, the call: wait it out. The 10th and 11th of September are the only real options on offer, and even then, it’s small but clean. One good day, maybe two. If you can’t wait, you’ll be fighting chop and whitewater for nothing. Keep the board waxed for Thursday the 10th.

Rusty.

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