Lyall Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, your local surf reporter. We’ve got a bit of a mixed bag on the cards for Lyall Bay over the next 16 days, with plenty of action from the South but a lot of chop to work through too.

The short-term looks pretty uninspiring. We’ve got a 2ft SSW groundswell rolling in, with a super long 17-second period, and combined wave energy sitting at 332. That’s not much push, and honestly, the first proper window we see isn’t until Friday morning, September 11th. The wind is a fresh offshore from the NNW at 19 mph, and while it’s clean, the waves are only small. It’s a tough call to get out on a board the size of a car door for that, but if you’re keen for a long-period noodle, you’ll be out there alone.

Now, let’s talk about Friday morning, September 18th. That’s the standout of the whole run. Lyall Bay gets a massive 14.8ft swell from the S, with a 14-second period and combined energy of 7288. That’s serious power. The conditions are okay – a moderate cross-onshore with a bit of chop – but the problem is it’s just too big for this break. Only absolute experts should even think about it, and even they’ll have their hands full. This is an all-time big wave event for the bay, but not for the faint-hearted.

Earlier on, Saturday the 12th shows some size, with a 5.2ft S swell in the morning and a 15-second period. Combined energy sits at 1272. The wind is light and cross-shore, so you’ll get a bit of a ripple on the face, but the tide might not play ball. By the afternoon you’re looking at 8.2ft S swell, with a 13-second period – that’s a big wall of water for most, and only for experienced surfers.

Monday the 14th is a nice little window. You’ve got a 5.2ft S swell in the morning, with a 12-second period and combined energy of 698. The wind is a moderate offshore from the N at 16 mph, keeping it clean. That’s a proper fun day for experienced paddlers – not too hectic, and you’ll get some decent lines.

After that, things drop off hard. From September 15th through to the 26th, the swell fades to mostly waist-high or smaller, with a lot of strong onshore winds, lumpy conditions, or just too much wind to make it pleasant. There’s a long gap of weak, messy surf. The 19th has a 4.6ft swell but with a fresh cross-offshore breeze and only marginal conditions. Not worth getting excited about.

Water temperature is about average for the time of year, so don’t expect any surprises on that front.

So to sum it up: the 18th of September is the big dog, but it’s a beast and only for the brave. The 14th is your best all-round window for clean, solid waves. Everything else is a bit of a struggle.

Stay safe out there.

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