Irmas/Leftpoint Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s on offer for this stretch.

To be straight with you, there’s nothing in the whole 16-day window that screams “grab the board and go.” The entire run from now through to the end of the month is one long quiet patch with messy, wind-affected conditions. There are no standout sessions, no windows where I’d tell you to drop everything.

Let’s run through it. From Tuesday morning, September 15th, through the 16th, we’ve got a small, short-period NE swell around 2 ft to 3 ft, but the wind is a consistent cross-shore with a moderate to fresh breeze. The water temperature feels about average for this time of year. The combined swell energy stays weak to moderate (141 to 169). Poor surf conditions are the story.

Then from the 17th of September onward, the swell bumps up — Thursday morning sees 7 ft of short-period ENE swell at 7 seconds, with a strong breeze and lumpy cross-chop. The combined energy climbs into moderate to strong territory (665 to 1022), but the quality is poor. That kind of size and onshore wind just turns it into a washing machine. By Thursday afternoon, it’s still only marginal at best.

Through the 18th to the 21st of September, the swell holds between 3 ft and 7 ft, with ENE and E directions, periods mostly short. A couple of longer-period SSW pulses roll through on the 18th (17 seconds, 3 ft), but the wind stays cross or cross-on, fresh to strong, and the break is a reef set-up. Even with that long-period groundswell, the wind and chop ruin any chance of a clean line. The energy values are strong — over 1100 at times — but with no decent wind, that energy just means a tough paddle and blown-out faces.

By the 22nd of September, it’s more of the same: 6 ft to 8 ft ENE/E, short period, strong cross-shore breeze. Poor conditions continue.

Into the final week — from the 25th of September through the 30th — the swell drops back. A few SSW pulses with 15-18 second periods appear (2 ft to 3 ft), and finally on the Tuesday afternoon (29th) and Wednesday morning (30th) we get a clean cross-offshore wind from the NNE at 12-18 mph. The sea state cleans up, but the swell is tiny — only 2 ft to 2 ft — and combined energy is moderate (382 to 434). It’s not enough to get excited about, just a marginal clean opportunity.

So bottom line: there are no good surf options in the entire 16-day window. The consistent onshore and cross-shore wind smashes every attempt at quality, and the clean spells only show up when the swell has dropped to near-flat. It’s one of those blank runs for the area. Forecasts can change, but as it stands, you’re better off keeping the board in the car and checking back later.

— Rusty

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