Mainside Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a good hard look at what’s on the menu for Mainside over the next couple of weeks. I’ll be straight with you – it’s a bit of a slow burn.

We’ve got a small window of *maybe* surfable waves, but the opening act is a bit of a write-off. The early part of the week is plagued by fresh cross-onshore winds and lumpy conditions, with the swell sloshing in at a pretty ordinary 5ft to 5ft from the north. The combined energy is moderate at best, hitting up to 480 (moderate wave energy) on Thursday afternoon, but the wind just kills it. It’s a rough start, no two ways about it. The water temp is sitting at a pretty normal 83° for this time of year.

The real hope, the standout, is Friday the 11th. That morning we finally get a break. A gentle offshore breeze from the southeast is forecast, which will clean things right up. The swell drops a little to 4ft from the north, but with an offshore wind, those northern swells wrap in nicely at this reef. It’s a gift for the more experienced among you – this is an advanced wave. The combined energy is 237 (moderate wave energy), so there’s a bit of push behind it. This is the best on offer.

After that, the surf drops off fast. Saturday the 12th will be clean with offshore winds, but the swell is tiny – around 3ft. It’ll be ordinary. By Sunday the 13th into the second week, it’s a flat spell. We’ve got a long gap here with next to nothing. The swell goes into the gutter, tiny 0.7ft to 2ft windswell from the east. Even though it’s clean, there’s just no energy – combined energy figures are all below 100 (weak wave energy). For a few days around the 15th and 16th, there are waves described as surfable but very ordinary, with the swell staying small.

The long-range outlook into the third week of September looks pretty grim. We see some stiff breezes and even a few "strong offshore" winds around the 23rd, but the swell is a miserable 1ft. Hard to paddle into, let alone ride. Not a lot to get excited about.

So to sum it up: your best bet, and really your *only* good bet, is Friday morning the 11th. Get on it while the offshore wind makes that north swell work.

Rusty.

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