Margate Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming our way for the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, it’s a pretty frustrating stretch to start. For the first week and a half, the surf’s barely worth a mention. We’ve got days of tiny, weak swell with the wind all over the place, mostly onshore or cross-onshore, making a mess of things. The surf is poor, the energy is low, and it’s just not happening. That’s the hard truth from now right through to around the 20th of September. The water temp is sitting at a very unusual 77°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, but that’s about the only exciting thing for a while.

There is a gap of about eight or nine days where I wouldn’t bother paddling out unless you’re desperate. Then, things finally start to look interesting.

The standout, and really the only window worth getting excited about, is Wednesday the 23rd of September and Thursday the 24th of September. The swell builds nicely, coming from the east with a period around 8 to 10 seconds, so it’s got a bit of push. By Wednesday morning we’re looking at clean 7 ft surf with light offshore west winds at 9 mph. The wave energy gets solid, hitting 638 (moderate to strong), and the conditions should be really good. Thursday follows up with 8 ft surf, still clean with a stronger 19-22 mph offshore wind from the north-northwest, and the energy jumps way up to around 1160-1241 (strong to very strong). This is proper swell, but at that size, over 8 ft, it’s for experienced surfers only. Beginners should sit this one out.

Margate Pier (Margate) is a beach-and-pier setup, and while it’s very consistent, it’s also exposed and can get messy. For the 23rd and 24th, the wind is offshore, so it should be clean. Just keep in mind that with a longer period swell like this (10 seconds on Thursday), it can sometimes break a bit straight on a beach break, but with the offshore wind, it should still be fun. The crowds are listed as ‘sometimes’, so you might have some company, but it won’t be a zoo.

After that, the swell drops off quickly through the 26th and 27th, and we’re back to small, poor conditions to close out the outlook.

So to sum it up: wait it out for over a week, then hit it hard on Wednesday the 23rd or Thursday the 24th for the best waves you’re going to see in this forecast period. The rest is a write-off.

Rusty.

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