Irmas/Leftpoint Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ve been staring at the charts for Irmas/Leftpoint, and I’ve got to be straight with you – this isn’t shaping up to be a classic run. The whole 16-day window is a bit of a grind. The water temp is sitting around 81°, which is about average for this time of year, nothing weird going on there.

We kick off on Friday the 11th of September, and it’s pretty grim from the get-go. The swell is a weak 4ft from the ENE, but that 15 mph cross-onshore breeze absolutely spoils it. The combined swell energy is a moderate 412, but it’s all messy and choppy. This is poor, flat water for paddle surfing. Honestly, with that wind and poor shape, a kite surfer might get a look in.

Saturday the 12th and Sunday the 13th are more of the same – small, weak swell (3ft and 3ft) with that annoying cross-shore wind. The energy drops right off, down to 191 on Sunday morning. It’s all a bit of a waste.

Monday the 14th through to Tuesday the 15th is a real dead zone. Swell drops to 2ft and the wind stays up. You’re looking at a few days where you’re better off doing something else.

Then things get weird. Wednesday the 16th sees a sudden spike in swell – 6ft in the morning, but it’s short period wind swell (6 seconds) and absolutely howling cross-shore wind at 25 mph. That afternoon, a long period 18-second SSW groundswell hits at 3ft, bumping the energy to 867, but again, the wind is a mess. This is not surfable for a paddle surfer.

Thursday the 17th turns nasty with swell hitting 8ft and combined energy roaring up to 1429 – that’s strong energy. But the wind is a strong 25 mph cross-shore, creating messy, lumpy conditions. This is expert-only territory, and even then, it’s not worth it.

Friday the 18th brings thunderstorms and a 8ft ENE swell with cross-onshore wind. The energy is 1335, but it’s a complete write-off for quality. Saturday the 19th and Sunday the 20th stay poor – 6ft swell, fresh cross-shore wind, energy staying in the 500-900 range. Just ugly.

There’s a slight glimmer right at the end. Thursday the 24th of September: the wind finally swings to a light 6 mph onshore from the SSE, and the swell is 7ft from the east with a 10-second period. It’s still a bit lumpy and only a marginal forecast, but at least the wind isn’t ruining it. The combined energy is 1138.

The best of a bad bunch really looks like Friday the 25th of September – 7ft east swell, a gentle 9 mph cross-shore wind from the ENE, and a 10-second period giving it some shape. Energy is 1215. It’s still a marginal call, but that morning window is the closest thing to a surfable wave in this entire 16-day run. It’s not a standout by any normal standard, but compared to the rest, it’s your best bet. For an east swell, a point break like Irmas/Leftpoint (a reef break exposed to the ESE) can handle it, and with that light wind, it might offer a few decent lefts.

After that, Saturday the 26th fades back into messy cross-shore conditions. Honestly, the whole period is a tough one. The consistency is there for the swell, but the wind just won’t cooperate. Don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

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