J-Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for J-Bay over the next couple of weeks.

Alright, J-Bay is on the radar. We’ve got a run of solid, quality groundswell energy heading this way, but we’ve gotta be smart about the wind, because the onshores will try and ruin it. The biggest standout is way out there on Monday the 21st of September morning. That morning is lookin’ absolutely firing with a 13ft SSW groundswell, a 16-second period, and some light W wind keeping things cross-off and clean. The combined energy is just mental at 7344 (very strong). That’s big, powerful, clean surf for experienced surfers only – the kind of day that really makes you sit up and pay attention, even if it’s a week and a half away and we’re just watching the charts for now. Before that, we get a few other windows.

The first real glimmer of hope comes Friday morning the 11th of September. We’ve got a 6ft SW groundswell (13-second period, moderate energy at 1277) and glassy conditions with an ESE wind at only 3 mph. That’s a clean, lined-up morning for intermediate surfers. It won’t be huge, but it’ll be sweet. Get on it early because the afternoon turns onshore and messy.

We then hit a rough patch from Friday afternoon right through Sunday the 13th of September where the wind is howling onshore and the surf gets lumpy and poor. Monday afternoon the 14th of September flips it. A clean 7ft E swell with a WNW offshore breeze will give some nice, clean walls. Good for the experienced crew. Tuesday morning the 15th of September stays okay with a 5ft E swell and light offshore wind, but it’s got a bit less energy on it.

The next real highlight after that is Wednesday afternoon the 16th of September. A 12ft SW groundswell (15-second period) with cross-off wind and a combined energy of 4580 – that’s strong, clean and powerful. Again, that’s expert territory, but it’ll be a beauty to watch if you’re not charging.

Then we’ve got that absolute gem on the 21st morning, with some solid follow-up on the 22nd of September morning (10ft SSW, offshore W wind, clean). The end of the window on the 24th of September morning has a small 5ft SW swell with light offshore NW wind for some fun, clean waves if you’ve got a longboard.

Crowds at J-Bay are sometimes an issue, so on the quality days, don’t expect to have it to yourself. The water temperature is currently reading 57°F, which is a massive 9°F colder than normal for this time of year – that’s very unusual, so you’ll want a good 5/4 wetsuit, boots, and maybe a hood. Don’t get caught out.

So, the top pick is Monday, 21st of September morning for the big, clean, expert-level groundswell. The backup is Friday, 11th of September morning for something smaller and glassy.

Rusty.

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