Lake Ferry Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’m lookin’ straight at Lake Ferry. Blunt truth: this 16-day window is a tough one for a paddle. There’s a big ol’ gap of poor conditions kickin’ things off, so let's break it down.

From Saturday the 5th through to Tuesday the 8th, it’s pretty much a write-off. We’ve got a mix of cross-off and onshore winds, mostly moderate to fresh, with the swell jumping around but the quality’s just not there. The combined energy is weak to moderate, but the wind and weather are all wrong. It’s a rough start.

Wednesday the 9th morning is the first real flicker of hope, and it’s a beauty if you can get on it. Conditions turn clean, winds go glassy from the S, and there’s a 5ft SSW swell with a period of 8 seconds. The combined swell energy is 335. Water temp’s about average for this time of year, so no wild surprises there. Lake Ferry shines in those glassy moments, but it’s only a whisper of goodness.

Thursday the 10th and Friday the 11th are back to ordinary – onshore slop or messy cross-shore with weak swell. The energy on Friday afternoon hits 630 from a 4ft SSW groundswell (12 seconds), but the wind’s cross, making it marginal at best.

Now, Saturday the 12th afternoon is the stand-out, but with a serious caveat. The swell jumps to 12ft from the SSW, period 13 seconds, and the combined energy is massive at 3890. The wind’s onshore SW, but the report says wind and tide favorable, though the swell is too big for this break. That’s a hard one – for experts only, and it might be more of a kite session than a paddle. Sunday the 13th and Monday the 14th are trashed with strong to fresh onshore winds and big, messy swell.

Tuesday the 15th is another monster day – 21ft SSW swell with a combined energy of 11601, again too big for Lake Ferry. Avoid it unless you’re watchin’ from the shore.

Wednesday the 16th is your best genuine surf day in the entire outlook. Clear skies, light offshore NNE winds, and a clean 8ft SSW swell at 12 seconds. Combined energy is 1572. This is excellent for experienced surfers only – it’s pushing the limits. That offshore wind will make it clean as a whistle, but you’ll need the skills. Only a handful of heads out there, but crowds are sometimes an issue, so expect a few on the sandbar.

Thursday the 17th is too big again, 13ft with cross-onshore chop, and Friday the 18th morning brings a drop to 6ft S swell with clean cross-off NW winds – a good option with combined energy at 504. Saturday the 19th and Sunday the 20th fade back into poor conditions or simply too much size.

Overall, if you want a paddle, set your sights on Wednesday the 16th morning – that’s the real standout, but it’s for the bold. Wednesday the 9th morning is the other little gem if you want something smaller and glassy. The rest is either blown out or way too big.

Rusty.

Read more