Lake Ferry Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty here. Right off the bat, I’m looking at this stretch and it’s a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got a solid run of surf coming, but you’re going to have to pick your moments carefully. The first few days are pretty grim, so don’t get too excited about getting wet straight away. The waves are there, but the quality is all over the shop. The real standout window is the weekend, but it comes with a huge caveat.

The first real hope shows up on Saturday the 12th. The morning session at Lake Ferry is nothing to write home about – a cross-on wind with 6ft of SSW swell. But the afternoon is where it gets interesting. The swell jumps up to 12ft from the SSW with a 13-second period, and the energy readings are huge. We’re talking a strong to very strong combined energy of 3888. The wind and tide are favorable, but honestly, that size is just too much for this sandbar. It’s going to be wild out there. The swell direction matches the optimum (S), but this is only for the experienced crew. If you’re not a pro, find something else to do. This is the biggest swell of the period by a long shot.

Sunday the 13th settles down a bit, but it’s still sizable. 7ft in the morning and 8ft in the afternoon, both from the SSW with a 13-second period and a cross-on wind. It’s still big, pushing past that 8ft mark in the afternoon, so again, it's expert territory. It’s still got that strong energy (1509 and 3297), but those cross-on conditions are going to make it messy.

Monday the 14th is the pick of the bunch for me. The morning glass-off with a cross-off wind from the NNW is a major positive. The swell drops to a more manageable 7ft from the S with a 12-second period. The energy is moderate (1140) but it's clean. For an exposed sandbar, this is the best combination of size and clean conditions we get. It’s what I’d call the standout for experienced surfers. The water is about average for this time of year, nothing weird going on there.

After that, things start to soften. Tuesday the 15th has some clean 3ft surf in the morning, but the energy drops right off (265). It’s surfable, but very ordinary. The wind is offshore from the N, which is good, but it lacks punch.

The rest of the week is a write-off. A big blast of NW wind on Wednesday the 16th kills any idea of good surf – the swell drops to 2ft and the energy is weak. Thursday the 17th gives us a brief moment of glassy 4ft waves in the morning with light wind, but the period is a short 7 seconds, so it’ll be weak and crumbly. It’s a small window that won’t last.

Next weekend (the 19th and 20th) is pretty flat. There’s nothing on offer. We then slide into a longer gap where a run of poor conditions takes over. The wind is up and the swell is inconsistent, so you’re looking at a few days of nothing from the back half of the 21st through to the 24th. The end of the window on the 25th has a bit of swell but the cross-shore wind messes it up.

So, if you’re looking for a wave, Saturday afternoon the 12th is the one for the brave – it’s big, raw, and powerful. But for a more realistic session that’s still got some size and clean conditions, hit Monday morning the 14th. That’s your window. It’s not a long period of glory, but there’s something there for someone.

Catch you in the water.

Rusty.

Read more