Indicators Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

The next couple of weeks look pretty quiet for the most part, with a long stretch of only marginal, small surf on offer. The water is sitting at 60°F which is about normal for this time of year, so nothing weird there.

We start off on Wednesday, September 2nd, with a tiny 2 ft SW swell. The wind is a light cross-on from the south, and combined wave energy is weak at 254. It’s not really worth paddling out for. That feeling carries on for days. Through Thursday, Friday, and into the weekend, we’re stuck with small WSW to SSW swells, barely cracking 3 ft, with onshore winds and that combined energy mostly hanging around the 500-700 mark. It’s all marginal or poor. Right through to Monday, September 7th, the swell drops even further, down to 2 ft, and the energy tanks to 84. Just a blank run.

There’s a gap of a few days here where the surf is just too small and messy to get excited about. The wind stays onshore, and the swell direction is poor. You’re looking at days of nothing.

Now, we do get a bit of a pulse around the second week. On Monday, September 14th, we see a bump in size from the WNW, with 5 ft in the morning and 5 ft in the afternoon. The period is short, though, around 7-8 seconds, so it’s going to be a bit crumbly and disorganised, especially with the onshore wind. The combined energy jumps to 385-396, which is still moderate. Still not a standout.

The real highlight, the one you want to circle, is Wednesday, September 16th. The afternoon session looks glassy – a light west wind, 3 mph, and the swell is a solid 5 ft from the WNW. The period picks up to 10 seconds, giving it a bit more shape. The combined energy reads 623 (moderate), and the comment says “expect good surf conditions.” This is the best on offer. For a spot like Indicators, a sheltered point break that likes WNW swell, this is clean and lined up. The offshore direction is perfect for the break, and the glassy conditions will make it a dream. The swell is a bit much for beginners, but for intermediates and up, it’s a go.

The next morning, September 17th, still has a 4 ft WNW swell and light wind, but it’s not as clean. By the afternoon, the swell drops to 2 ft from the SW with a very long 21-second period, but the energy is high (678) and the wind is onshore again. That’s a tricky one – groundswell that long can be a bit wonky at a point, but you might get a few clean runners if you’re on the right bank.

Overall, the first week and a half are a write-off for any decent surf. The standouts are the glassy afternoon on September 16th, and to a lesser extent the morning of the 17th. Keep your eyes on that Wednesday.

Rusty.

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