Lake Ferry Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Lake Ferry over the next couple of weeks. I’ll be straight with you – it’s a tough stretch ahead, so don’t get your hopes up too high. We’ve got a long gap of nothing much to start with, so patience is the name of the game.

The first few days are a write-off. Friday the 4th through to Monday the 7th of September are all “poor surf conditions” with a messy cross-offshore breeze ripping in at 28 to 28 mph. The swell is tiny to start, around 1.0 ft to 2 ft, and combined wave energy is weak (85 to 142). It’s a proper no-go for a paddle. Honestly, the wind and chop are so strong, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

We finally get a break in the weather on Tuesday morning, the 8th of September. The wind drops to glassy – dead calm, 0 mph – and the swell is a clean 3 ft from the SSW with a 10-second period. The combined energy is moderate (159). It’s not big, but it’s surfable. The water temp is about what you’d expect for this time of year, nothing unusual. Still, it’s a small window, and the afternoon turns onshore again.

Wednesday the 9th gives us a little more hope. A light offshore breeze from the NNE at 3 mph in the morning, with a 2 ft swell from the S at 9 seconds. It’s clean, but the energy is weak (103). If you’re desperate for a trim, it’s worth a paddle, but it’s very ordinary.

Then we hit another dry spell from Thursday the 10th through to Sunday the 13th. The wind picks up, and the swell gets bigger but messy. Sunday the 13th afternoon sees a massive 10 ft SSW swell with a 12-second period, and the combined energy is a whopping 4150 – very strong. The wind is cross-offshore and clean, but the wave comment says it’s predicted to be too big for this break. That’s expert-only territory, and even then, it’s probably a washing machine. The sandbar setup at Lake Ferry won’t handle that size well.

Monday the 14th and Tuesday the 15th are okay but not standout. Tuesday morning has a light 6 mph cross-offshore breeze, a 4 ft swell from the S at 10 seconds, and moderate energy (286). The wave comment says “expect good surf conditions,” but the score is low. It’s clean, but small.

The standout for the whole period – and the only real highlight – is looking like Saturday the 12th of September morning. The wind is a clean cross-offshore from the NNW at 12 mph, the swell is a solid 8 ft from the SSW with an 11-second period, and the combined energy is very strong (1814). The wave comment says “marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions,” but of everything on offer, this is the best bet. It’s big – expert-only territory – but if you’re experienced and the tide lines up, it could be a proper session. The longer period gives it some grunt, but on a sandbar, it might be a bit straight. Keep an eye on it.

After that, the second week trails off. Thursday the 17th of September morning has a 7 ft SSW swell with a 12-second period and cross-offshore wind, but it’s marginal. The rest is small, onshore, or just ordinary. The 19th of September morning has a tiny 1.0 ft swell with a very long 20-second period and light offshore wind – it’s clean but barely surfable.

So, to sum it up: the first week is mostly a bust. The best window is Saturday the 12th morning for the big stuff, or Tuesday the 8th and Wednesday the 9th for a tiny, clean paddle. The second week is thin and uncertain. It’s a tough run, but it tends not to stay poor for long around here – forecasts can change.

Rusty.

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