Jacks Hole Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, I’m looking at the whole 16-day window, and to be honest, the surf forecast for Jacks Hole is looking pretty grim. We’re going to see a long stretch of flat to tiny, weak swell with poor conditions. There’s a big gap of nothingness here, with no real standouts to get excited about. From the 30th of August right through to the 12th of September, the wave energy is just too low to do much of anything, with most days offering up next to nothing.

Let’s start with the first few days. Sunday the 30th of August, the morning is a write-off with a tiny 1ft south swell, a period of 9 seconds, and combined energy of just 25, which is weak. The wind is a cross-off from the SSW at 9 mph, but the surf is just too small. Sunday afternoon is a little bigger at 3ft, but the period drops to a shocking 5 seconds, and the wind picks up to 16 mph, making it a messy, weak windswell. The water temp is about 64°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year.

The whole first week of September is a flat spell. Monday the 31st of August, you’re looking at 1ft in the morning and 1ft in the afternoon. The afternoon does have a light offshore wind from the WNW at 9 mph, which is nice, but there’s no swell to work with. Tuesday the 1st of September, the morning swell is a pathetic 0.7ft, and the afternoon goes completely flat. This pattern of tiny, weak swell or flat conditions continues for days. On Wednesday the 2nd of September, you get a 2ft swell in the afternoon, but it’s got a 5-second period and combined energy of 31, so it’s basically a weak, bumpy mess. The wind is a cross-off from the SW at 12 mph, so it’s clean but gutless.

We see a little more hope on Friday the 4th of September. The morning has a 1ft swell from the SSW with a moderate offshore wind from the WSW at 16 mph, but again, the energy is only 20. The afternoon is a joke with just 0.3ft. Saturday the 5th of September has a light offshore wind from the WNW at 6 mph, but the swell is a tiny 0.3ft with a 14-second period, which is a long period for such a tiny wave, and the energy is only 4. Sunday the 6th of September afternoon sees a jump to 4ft from the south, but it’s a 5-second windswell with a fresh cross-shore wind at 22 mph, making it lumpy and choppy. Combined energy is 62, so still moderate, but the wind and short period ruin it.

The second week of September is more of the same. Monday the 7th has a 2ft swell, but the period is 5 seconds. The morning of Tuesday the 8th has a tiny 0.3ft swell with a 12-second period and a light offshore wind from the west at 6 mph, but there’s just no size. The 9th and 10th are mostly flat or tiny. Thursday the 10th of September morning is glassy with no wind, but the swell is just 0.7ft with a 3-second period. Friday the 11th of September morning is glassy with a 2ft swell from the SSE, but the period is just 4 seconds, and the energy is only 13.

Finally, on Saturday the 12th of September, we see the biggest swell of the window. The morning shows 4ft from the SE with a 5-second period and combined energy of 53. The wind is a light cross-shore from the NNE at 6 mph. The afternoon is the same size, 4ft, but the energy climbs to 72, and the wind becomes a gentle cross-onshore from the ENE at 9 mph, making it fairly choppy.

Given that this is a reef break and it’s fairly consistent, the fact that we’re seeing such a long run of poor surf is a bit of a bummer, but it happens. The best of a bad bunch, if you’re desperate, would be the Saturday the 12th of September morning session. The swell is the biggest we’ll see at 4ft, the wind is a light cross-shore, and the energy is moderate (53). It’s not a classic, but it’s the only bit of size on offer. The other session that might be worth a look is the Sunday the 6th of September afternoon, but the 4ft swell is a short-period windswell with a strong cross-shore wind, making it a lumpy, choppy mess. It’s more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle session.

So, honestly, keep your expectations low. There’s no true standout here. The forecast is a long, flat spell with just a couple of marginal pulses. Hopes are low, but forecasts can change.

Rusty

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