Indicators Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get this out there. The forecast for our stretch of coast is a mixed bag looking out over the next couple of weeks. We’ve got a bit of a wait on our hands for anything truly clean, but there are a couple of windows that’ll be worth your while if you’re keen.

The general pattern is a lot of inconsistent, short-period slop, with onshore winds messing things up most afternoons. Mornings are your friend, but even then, it’s mostly small and average. There’s a slow, building trend towards the middle of the month, but nothing that’s going to have you calling in sick.

Let’s run through it. Thursday the 10th and Friday the 11th are pretty much a write-off. We’ve got some waist-high SSW swell at 3ft to 3ft, but the winds are cross-onshore, and the energy is just weak, sitting around 449 to 569. It’s the kind of lumpy, bumpy stuff that’s more frustrating than fun. You’d be better off doing something else.

The weekend doesn't offer much either. Saturday the 12th starts with a tiny 3ft SW swell, but that afternoon the breeze kicks up to a solid 15 mph, creating a choppy mess. Sunday the 13th has a brief moment of hope. The morning is glassy with a wave at 4ft, though the period has dropped right off to a fat, crumbly 7 seconds. That’s windswell, not groundswell, and at Indicators (the country), it’s going to be pretty gutless. That afternoon gets chopped up again.

We finally see a bit more size early next week, but the quality is still questionable. Monday the 14th has the swell pushing up to 5ft to 6ft, WNW, with a period of 9 seconds. The morning wind is okay, but conditions are questionable, and the afternoon blows out again. Tuesday the 15th is a little better, with 5ft surf on the push but light cross-onshore winds. Still, it’s not going to be clean.

Then we hit another lull. From Wednesday the 16th through to Saturday the 19th, the swell drops right back to ankle-biting 2ft to 2ft. The period stretches out to a long 16-19 seconds, which is good in theory, but there’s just not enough size to make anything of it. The energy is weak, and there's not much of a ride to be had.

Here’s where the one true standout shows up. Sunday the 20th. The morning is looking glassy, with a light SW wind and a 2ft SW swell. The period is a solid 18 seconds, giving it some real push. The combined energy is 404, which is moderate, but the main event is how clean it’s going to be. It’s still small, so you’ll be on a longboard, but it’ll be the best the place has looked in a week. It’s a far cry from perfect, but it’s the only real window we’ve got.

After that, it’s back to the grind. The week of the 21st through the 24th is just more of the same small, cross-onshore stuff. The swell stays around 2ft to 3ft, and the winds are never really favorable. The 25th shows a small bump in size to 4ft, but it’s coming with a short 8-second period, a cross-onshore wind at 12 mph, and the chance of a thunderstorm. That’s just a mess, and honestly, it’s looking more like a windy, bumpy day that might be better for a kiter than a surfer.

So, to sum it up: keep your expectations low. The water is around average for the time of year. The standout session is Sunday morning, September 20th, at Indicators. It’s small but glassy, and that’s all we’re getting. The long-range stuff into the 25th is just too wind-blown and short-period to get excited about.

Rusty.

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