Lake Ferry Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Lake Ferry. Gotta be straight with you – this stretch ain’t lookin’ too flash for a lot of it. The wind is a constant battle, and the swell’s either too small or too messy for most of the run. We’ve got a 16-day window, but there’s a big ol’ gap of poor conditions right through the first week and a half. The first real glimmer of hope doesn’t show up until Saturday the 13th of September.

Let’s start with the early stuff. Thursday the 3rd of September has a bit of swell, around 5ft from the SSW, but that cross-off wind is a fresh 30 km/h, so it’s gonna be workin’ against you. Nothin’ worth paddlin’ out for. That holds all the way through to the end of the first week. The swell drops right off to 1ft, and the wind stays up – it’s a real frustrating stretch. Then Monday the 7th of September sees a massive pulse of 13ft swell from the SSW, but it’s onshore, messy, and the combined energy is a wild 2700 – that’s a lot of juice, but it’s way too big for this sandbar, and the wind is just ruinin’ it. The afternoon looks a bit better with a 12ft swell, but it’s still too big and cross-on. Not a paddle session, that’s for sure.

The first real chance comes on Saturday the 13th of September, and it’s a beauty in the morning. Lake Ferry’s a sandbar, so it’s always a bit of a gamble, but this is the standout. You’ve got a solid 7ft groundswell from the SSW, with a period of 12 seconds – that’s good energy. The wind is light from the NNW, just 10 km/h and cross-off, so it’s gonna be clean and glassy. The combined energy is 1230, which is moderate-strong, so there’s some punch. This is for experienced surfers only, though – that size is beyond beginner territory. It’s fairly consistent, but crowds are possible, so don’t expect a lonely lineup. The water temp is around 54°, which is pretty normal for this time of year.

Then we get another crack on Wednesday the 16th of September. The morning is special – glassy conditions with the wind dead calm from the north, just 5 km/h. The swell is 6ft from the SSW, with a long 14-second period. That’s a proper groundswell, and at a sandbar like this, it might be a bit straight, but it’ll still offer some good, clean waves. Again, for experienced surfers only. The afternoon gets messy again with a fresh cross-off breeze, so the morning is the window.

After that, the swell hangs around in the 5ft to 6ft range on the 17th and 18th, but the wind swaps back onshore or cross-off, and the quality drops. There’s nothin’ else that really stands out as worth a serious look.

So, bottom line: don’t get your hopes up for the first week. The Saturday the 13th of September morning is your best bet – clean, solid, and powerful. The Wednesday the 16th of September morning is a close second for the glassy conditions, even if the swell’s a little smaller. Keep an eye on the forecasts, but for now, that’s the pick.

Rusty.

Read more