L Jetty Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here again. Let’s break down the same outlook but in feet and knots for the imperial crew.

Straight up, this is going to be a long, quiet stretch for L Jetty. We’re looking at a big dry spell with very few windows worth getting wet for.

Right from the start, nothing to get excited about. From now until the 3rd of September, the surf is mostly tiny and messy. Waves are around 1ft to 3ft, but the wind is all over the place – cross-onshore, onshore, and generally choppy. The combined swell energy is weak, sitting between 21 and 107 (moderate energy on the afternoon of the 2nd). For a beach and jetty setup, this is just not happening. A couple of glassy moments on the morning of the 1st and the afternoon of the 31st of August, but the waves are too small to bother. Not worth wetting the suit.

The first real chance comes Thursday, the 3rd of September. The morning kicks off with a clean offshore wind from the west at around 11 knots, and we see waves around 3ft from the southeast with a short 6 second period. The combined swell energy is still only moderate at 87, but the conditions are clean. It’s surfable, but very ordinary. The afternoon holds that offshore wind from the WNW, though the swell drops back to 3ft. This is the best of a very quiet bunch, but it’s for high intermediates and above. Beginners will find it too weak.

Then another long gap. From the 4th of September right through to the 6th, it’s back to tiny surf (around 1ft) and clean but weak conditions. The 7th of September shows a slight uptick – we get a 3ft swell from the SSE with a 6 second period. The wind is light and offshore from the north on the morning, and glassy in the afternoon. The combined energy is still just moderate at 71 to 69. It’s surfable, but again, ordinary.

The 8th and 9th of September see a bit more energy but with poor winds. The 9th is notable for the swell period jumping to 12 seconds, which is a longer period groundswell, coming from the southeast. The combined energy hits 170 (moderate energy), but the wind is cross-shore from the south, creating a slight chop. That longer period means better shaped waves, but at a beach and jetty break like L Jetty, that longer period can make it break a bit straight. Still, it’s the best-looking swell of the whole period. If you’re an experienced surfer, this might be the one to circle on your calendar. The morning of the 11th of September also sees a clean offshore wind from the west, but the swell is tiny again at 2ft.

For the rest of the second week, it’s more of the same – small, weak, and mostly wind-affected. There’s nothing here for beginners, and even experienced surfers will be scratching for a proper wave.

The Standout: If you’re really jonesing, the 9th of September morning offers the best combination of swell size (2ft) and period (12 seconds) and moderate energy (170), but you’ll have to deal with a cross-shore wind. The 3rd of September is your cleanest bet, but the swell is small.

Honestly, this is looking like a kite surfer’s spell more than a paddle surfer’s paradise. Conditions are generally too small and choppy for proper surfing. Stay tuned, though – forecasts change.

Rusty.

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