Little Joes/Between the Jetties Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's take a look at what's cookin' at Little Joes/Between the Jetties for the next couple of weeks. It's a bit of a mixed bag, so let's break it down.

First up, the water's sitting at 55°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year. That's one to keep in mind for your rubber selection.

For the first few days, it's pretty flat and messy. Monday and Tuesday of this week are a write-off, with weak 2ft to 3ft SW swell, short 13-14 second periods, and cross-shore winds that are just going to chop everything up. The combined energy is weak, sitting around 300 (307-316). Not worth paddling out for.

Things start to stir on Wednesday, 2nd September, as a new swell pushes in. It's still not great though. We see a jump to 5ft - 7ft of SSW swell, but with a terrible 6-7 second period. The energy figures are climbing into the moderate range (433-683), but that short period means it's just going to be a lumpy, fat mess. Strong winds will be adding to the chop too. Honestly, this setup might be more interesting for the kite crew than for paddle surfing.

Now, here’s where we get a little glimmer. Thursday morning, 3rd September, is the standout. The swell settles back to 5ft from the WNW, the period stretches to 10 seconds, and the energy is solid at 701. But the real magic is the wind – glassy, dead calm. That's a major positive, meaning those waves will be clean and smooth as silk. This is the best on offer, a true window for some fun, intermediate-level waves with that offshore flow. The afternoon gets a bit bumpy again, so make it a morning mission.

The end of the week into the weekend sees the energy drop off. Friday and Saturday (4th and 5th) have some WNW and SW swell hanging around from 5ft to 3ft, with longer 10-16 second periods. The energy is still moderate (608-901), but the wind is a persistent cross-onshore, putting a bit of a ruffle on the face. It's rideable, but not as clean as Thursday morning.

We hit a real dry spell from Sunday, 6th September, right through to the middle of the following week. The swell drops right down to 2ft – 3ft, mostly from the SW with a mid-range period. It’s pretty much flat and not worth getting excited about. This dead run lasts for about three days.

Looking further out, around Wednesday 9th and Thursday 10th September, the models are showing a big pulse of NW energy. We're talking 6ft to 7ft of WNW swell, with a solid 11-12 second period. The energy figures spike hard into the strong zone (over 1000, up to 2392!). But – and it's a big but – the wind is forecast to be a strong, cross-shore breeze, up to 25-28 mph. That will chop things up badly, making it messy and lumpy. Unless you are an expert looking for a challenge in tricky conditions, this is one to skip.

The second week drags on a bit. There are some pulses of swell, like a 6ft WNW groundswell on Sunday 14th with light offshore winds that could be decent, but it's a long way out so it's promising but less certain. Mostly, it's small, cross-onshore, and mediocre.

So, to sum it up: the one true standout is Thursday morning, 3rd September. Get out there for the clean, glassy 5ft WNW swell at Little Joes before it gets messy. After that, it's a waiting game.

Rusty.

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