Long Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let's take a proper look at what’s comin’ down for Long Beach. We’ve got a real mixed bag of a forecast ahead, with some seriously good windows tangled up with some howling wind that’ll turn it ugly.

First up, the star of the show this week: Wednesday, September 2nd. It’s not often you see this quality. At Long Beach, that southwest groundswell is pumping with a solid 10 ft and a long 13 second period. That’s a proper groundswell with some real grunt. The wave energy is cooking (3471). The kicker is that morning wind is light and offshore from the south, making it clean. The water’s a bit colder than what we’re used to for this time of year, sitting at 57°F. If you’re an experienced surfer, that Wednesday morning is the best on offer. Suss out the outgoing tide. The afternoon holds up, with a cross-off breeze and the swell just as good, but that morning window is peak. That’s the standout right there.

Thursday morning, September 3rd, still has a 6 ft swell from the west-southwest, with a moderate offshore wind making it clean. Very good surf, but the wind does pick up dramatically in the afternoon. By Thursday arvo and all through Friday, that wind turns into a gale from the south-east, hitting 34 mph and beyond. The swell jumps up, but it’s blown to pieces from the side. The wave energy is still around, but it’s not for a paddler—if you’ve got a kite, you’ll be looking at this setup more than the surfboard. It’s a write-off for us.

Saturday, September 5th, is the same story. Strong winds and a messy 10 ft swell from the south-east. Not worth the paddle.

Then we get a bit of magic again. Sunday morning, September 6th, is a wild card. The swell changes direction back to the southwest and the period is massive—18 seconds. That’s a very long period groundswell with 8 ft of height. The wave energy is huge (4064). At Long Beach this could be tricky because a period that long can make a beach break very straight and fast, but the glassy conditions on Sunday afternoon (light 3 mph wind from the south-southeast) are absolutely incredible. That glassy, clean skin on the water makes it a must-check session for experienced surfers. Sunday is the second standout.

Monday, September 7th, brings onshore wind and a drop to 7 ft. Poor again. Tuesday, September 8th, is tiny and weak (energy down to 316-533). It’s barely surfable. You're better off sleeping in.

We luck out again on Wednesday, September 9th. A morning offshore breeze with a 4 ft groundswell from the southwest, period of 15 seconds. That’s clean and will peel nicely. Very good surf. Thursday, September 10th, follows up with a solid 7 ft swell from the west-southwest and light offshore winds. Expect very good surf all day.

From that point on, the second week gets messy quickly. Friday, September 11th, has moderate swell but the wind is cranked up again and the conditions drop off. From Saturday, September 12th, through to Wednesday, September 16th, it’s a long stretch of poor to marginal conditions. The wind is relentless, mostly a stiff breeze from the south-east or east, and the waves are big but blown out—some of that swell is over 10 ft with periods over 14 seconds, charging with wave energy as high as 5972 on the 16th, but the onshore wind is ruining it. Only expert chargers on a jet ski would be looking at that, if at all.

The final few days, September 17th, show a possible improvement as the wind drops and the swell is still huge (12 ft, 16 seconds). The wave energy is massive at 5406, but the wind is cross-off. It could clean up by arvo. Keep an eye on it, but it's a long way out.

Best on offer? No contest: Wednesday morning, September 2nd, and Sunday, September 6th.

Rusty.

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