Mckenzies Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the line for Mckenzies Beach.

Alright, mate, this outlook is a bit of a grind. We’ve got a solid 16 days on the books, but the first few days are a real struggle. The swell is there, but the wind is just ruining it. We’re looking at a lot of cross-shore and cross-onshore slop, especially early on. The water temp is sitting at 63°, which is about average for this time of year, so at least you won’t need a full winter suit.

Let’s break it down. Wednesday the 9th kicks off with a 6ft south swell, but it’s a short-period 6-second wind swell and the wind is a cross-shore breeze at 6 mph. The energy is moderate (406), but the surface is lumpy. Later that day, the wind cranks up to 22 mph, and it’s just a mess. Thursday the 10th looks a bit better – the swell drops slightly to 6ft, but the period stretches to 9 seconds, and the energy is building (933). The morning is still cross-shore, but Thursday afternoon is the standout. The wind clocks around to the ESE at 6 mph, going onshore but the report says it’s clean. The swell is still 6ft from the south, but the period hits 11 seconds, and the energy jumps right up (1233). That’s the best window in the first week – a proper groundswell with clean conditions. It’s not a massive day, but it’s the most surfable wave we get.

From Friday the 11th onwards, it’s a slow bleed. The swell drops under 3ft, the wind stays messy, and the scores are all poor. We get a bit of a glass-off on the morning of Monday the 14th, but the swell is tiny at 2ft and energy is weak (96). Not worth paddling out for. The pattern stays flat and average right through to the 19th, where we see a bump of 5ft south swell on Saturday the 19th, but it’s cross-shore at 12 mph and the period is a short 7 seconds. That’s messy.

The real hope comes right at the end. On the 22nd of September, Tuesday morning, the wind goes glassy with a clean 3ft north-easterly swell. The period is short (6 seconds), but combined with the glassy surface, it’ll be fun little rollers. The energy is light (117). Then on the 23rd of September, Wednesday afternoon, we see a 6ft south swell with a 8-second period and light cross-onshore breeze. The energy is moderate (541) and it’s just about surfable. But the best call is Sunday the 20th of September afternoon. The wind swings offshore from the NW at 6 mph, and the swell is a clean 2ft from the SSE with a long 11-second period. The energy is low (147), but that offshore wind will make it glassy and clean. It’s a small wave, but for a quiet afternoon session, it’s your pick.

If you’re a beginner, watch out for the bigger swells over 5ft on the 9th, 10th, 15th, and 19th. Those are fine for intermediates, but the short period will make them crumbly. The long period swells (11 seconds) on the 20th and 22nd will have more shape and energy, but they’ll be small.

Crowds? Mckenzies is often busy, so expect company on the better days, especially the Thursday afternoon session.

Right, that’s the rundown. The best session is Thursday afternoon the 10th of September – clean, 6ft south swell, 11-second period, and decent energy. Close second is Sunday the 20th of September afternoon with that offshore wind.

Rusty.

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