Lyall Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what Lyall Bay has in store over the next couple of weeks. The water is sitting at 56°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. We’ve got a bit of a mixed bag on the way, with some proper sessions and some days you’ll want to leave the board in the car.

The action really kicks off on Tuesday, the 1st of September. It’s a standout. We’ve got a solid 10ft to 12ft south swell rolling in at 12 seconds. Winds are light offshore from the north and northwest, so the faces will be clean. The energy is strong, with a combined energy reading of 2441 to 3198. But here’s the thing – this is a lot of water for Lyall Bay. For the experienced crew, this will be pumping, but it’s going to be too big for the beginners. Tuesday morning and afternoon are the pick of the whole forecast. Crowds are possible here, but on a day like this, plenty of peaks should keep everyone spread out.

Before that, we have a couple of quieter days. Sunday the 30th of August has a small 2ft SSW swell with a long 13-second period, but it’s getting hammered by a 25 mph cross-off wind. Not much to write home about. Monday the 31st offers some size, with 7ft to 8ft SSW swell, but the strong breeze makes it messy and marginal.

Wednesday the 2nd of September has overhead 7ft to 8ft swell from the south at a solid 13 to 14 seconds – lots of energy (2044 to 2472) – but the wind is a strong cross-off from the NNW, which will blow out the shape. It’s a pass for me.

From Thursday the 3rd through to Tuesday the 8th, it’s a pretty flat and wind-affected stretch. Swell drops to under 5ft for most of that period, with a mix of fresh to strong cross-off winds. On Sunday the 6th, we see near-gale offshore winds, but the swell is tiny and weak. Not worth paddling out. The only slight hope in this window is the morning of Thursday the 10th of September: a clean 4ft south swell with a light cross-off breeze. It’s surfable, but not a standout.

The second week brings a couple of flickers. The best of the late run looks like Saturday the 12th of September. We’re looking at 7ft to 7ft south swell, and critically, the wind is offshore from the north all day. Morning shows a clean 7ft swell with a short 7-second period – that’s a bit weak in the water, but the afternoon improves to a 10-second period and a moderate offshore breeze, giving us clean, punchy waves. The energy is moderate to strong (476 to 849). This is a promising session.

The rest of the second week, from the 13th onward, sees the swell drop off again, with a few small pulses but mostly poor to ordinary conditions thanks to strong winds.

So overall, the clear highlight is Tuesday the 1st of September. It’s a big south groundswell with perfect light offshore winds – a proper day for the experienced surfer. The second best is Saturday the 12th of September for cleaner, more manageable waves. Outside of those, it’s a wait-and-see game.

Rusty.

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