L Jetty Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ve stared at this forecast for L Jetty and I gotta be straight with you – it’s a tough stretch. The next 16 days are a real grind, with barely a surfable wave. The whole period is a long, flat gap for proper surf. The water is sitting at 73°F and that’s a touch warmer than normal for late August, so at least it’s not freezing while you’re staring at the flat.

The first real chance of anything worth paddling out for comes on Wednesday, the 2nd of September. Early morning, the wind is glassy at L Jetty, and we’ve got a 2ft swell sneaking in from the ESE with a period of 11 seconds. That’s a long period groundswell, which should give the waves some shape and energy, but at this size it’s small and weak – the combined energy is only 115 (moderate). The forecast says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” so don’t expect epic barrels. The glassy wind is a big positive – it’ll be clean, but it’s a beach/jetty setup, so the long period might make it a bit straight. Still, if you’re desperate, this is the only window.

Later that afternoon, on Wednesday the 2nd, the swell bumps up to 5ft from the E, but the period drops to a short 6 seconds and the wind swings cross-onshore, turning it into a messy, choppy mess. Not worth it.

Thursday the 3rd has a cleaner look – morning brings a 3ft ESE swell (period 8 seconds) with a cross-offshore wind from the SSW. The combined energy is 129 (moderate). The afternoon holds a 3ft swell with an offshore wind from the WSW. It’ll be clean, but the surf is still described as “very ordinary.” Not a standout, just a possible session if you’re keen.

The rest of the outlook is a desert. From the 4th of September right through to the 14th, every single time slot is rated “poor surf conditions.” The swell stays tiny – mostly under 2ft – and when it does get a bit bigger, like 4ft on the 8th, the wind is onshore or cross-onshore, ruining any chance of quality. The combined energy barely breaks 100 most days, and often sits in the weak range (20-90). The long gaps between sets will be a problem, and the wind is rarely favorable.

The only other day worth a mention is the 8th of September, where the swell hits 4ft from the SSE with a period of 6 seconds, but the onshore wind from the ESE makes it a choppy, bumpy affair. The combined energy is 121 (moderate), but the quality is missing.

Honestly, this is a quiet period. The lack of consistency in any decent swell means the best you can do is the Wednesday morning glassy session. The rest of the time, leave the board in the car. The wind is mostly cross or onshore, and the swell is too small or too short-period to produce anything fun. For a spot that’s fairly consistent, this is a rare dry spell.

Rusty.

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