Lawrencetown Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Lawrencetown Reef over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be real with you – the next week or so is looking pretty flat and uninspiring. We’ve got a long stretch of small, weak swells and messy wind. For most of the first week, you’re looking at waves hovering around 1.3 ft to 3.3 ft, and the wind is mostly cross or onshore, which just chops it up. The combined energy is weak, sitting well under 100 (like 45 to 72). It’s not a total write-off for a beginner session on a longboard maybe, but for anyone looking for a proper wave, it’s gonna be a frustrating paddle. There’s a brief moment early Thursday morning, the 27th of August, where it goes glassy with a 3.3 ft swell from the SE, but the period is only 8 seconds and the energy is low (152). It’s surfable, but it’s very ordinary.

The real story here is the big spike that’s brewing for the second week. Mark your calendars for Friday, the 4th of September. The models are showing a solid dose of swell hitting the reef. We’re looking at a 7.2 ft swell from the ESE early on Friday morning, with a period of 8 seconds and a combined energy of 526 – that’s moderate and building. That’s a big step up. The wind is forecast to be glassy in the morning, which is a major positive. This is clean, glassy surf on a decent-sized swell. The only catch is that at 7.2 ft, this is getting into the big stuff. This is not a beginner wave. The reef will be doing its thing, and the sets will have some punch. The afternoon on Friday keeps the swell at 6.9 ft, but the wind swings onshore, which will mess up the surface.

The swell continues to pump through the weekend, but the wind gets ugly. By Saturday the 5th, a stormy system moves in with 22-28 mph winds from the E and ESE. The swell is 7.5 ft, and the energy is through the roof at 1342, but the wind is howling cross or cross-on, churning the ocean into a lumpy mess. This setup will be more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. The same goes for Sunday the 6th, with 7.9 ft swell and 28 mph cross-winds. It’s a lot of raw power, but it’s not clean for a surfer.

The standout window is that Friday morning, the 4th of September. That’s the one to go for. The water temperature is 65.7°F, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, so you can leave the thick wetsuit at home.

To sum it up: the first week is a dud. The second week has a massive swell, but only Friday the 4th morning offers a clean, glassy window for experienced surfers. Get out there then, or you’ll be watching the storm from the shore.

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