Jacobs Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty comin’ at ya from Jacobs Bay. Let me tell ya, it’s a mixed bag over the next couple of weeks, so we gotta pick our moments carefully.

Straight up, the beginning of the period is a no-go. We’ve got a big, powerful SW groundswell rolling in on Tuesday, September 1st, with 10ft of swell and a long 13-second period. The combined energy is huge at 2653 – that’s serious power, but for a beginner-friendly spot like Jacobs Bay, the guide says it’s simply too big. That cross-shore wind ain’t helping either, just makin’ it a messy, lumpy beast. This “too big” condition hangs around through Wednesday and into Thursday morning, even with a clean 12ft W swell on the 3rd. You’d be paddling for your life out there, not gettin’ waves.

Things start to settle down by Friday the 4th. The swell drops to a more manageable 8ft from the south, but the energy is falling fast (1199) and the period is short at 9 seconds. It’s marginal at best. Saturday the 5th morning is your first real chance. We’ve got a clean 5ft S swell with a gentle offshore breeze. It’s small, and the energy is weak (413), but it’s clean and rideable for a beginner.

Now, Sunday September 6th is the standout of this whole outlook. Mark it on your calendar. A beautiful 5ft SW groundswell, but the period is a dreamy 16 seconds – that’s very long period energy, 1406 combined. The wind is a light offshore easterly, making it glassy clean. This is “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers”. That long period will wrap in beautifully at Jacobs Bay. The water temp is sitting at 55°, which is 5° colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll want a good, thick steamer. It’s very unusual for it to be this chilly. Expect clean, lined-up sets with long waits between them – perfect for a patient surfer.

The rest of the first week into the second is mostly poor or marginal. The swell sticks around but the winds get nasty, mostly cross or onshore, and it’s lumpy and choppy. By Thursday the 10th, we’ve got a 5ft WSW swell but with a fresh cross breeze making a mess of it. The second week (from September 11th onwards) sees a little pulse of swell, but it’s accompanied by strong, messy cross winds. The 16th of September has a promising 6ft WSW swell with a very long 17-second period (energy 2482) but the wind is a light cross-onshore, so it’s not gonna be clean. Look at it as a promising possibility, but it’s a long way out, so don’t lock in your plans.

Overall, if you’re a beginner, wait for the small cleanup day on the 5th. If you’ve got some experience and a thick wetsuit, Sunday the 6th is your golden window. The rest is for kite surfers or a day on the couch.

Stay salty,
Rusty

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