Middles/Generals Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let me take a look at what we've got for Middles/Generals.

Well, I'm not gonna lie to ya. The first week-plus is a real write-off. From Monday, the 14th of September right through to the 24th, the wind is just relentless – strong onshore and cross-shore stuff from the ENE and NE, mostly in the 15 – 25 mph range. That's gonna tear up whatever swell is trying to show. We've got moderate to strong wave energy pushing in (with combined energy values mostly in the hundreds, climbing into the 900s and even 1058 at one point on the 18th), but the quality is shot. The only thing that stands out in that mess is on Wednesday the 16th – the afternoon session sees a solid 3ft SSW swell with a very long 18-second period, and the combined energy jumps right up to 973 – pure grunt, but it's being blown out by a 22 mph NE cross-shore. That's a kite-surfing setup if ever I saw one, not for a paddle board.

Things start to look a bit more human towards the end of the run. The 25th of September sees the wind finally swing around. We're looking at light NNE breezes of 12 mph, turning cross-offshore, and it’s cleaning right up. The swell is small – only 2 to 3ft from the SSW with a long 15-second period – so don't expect bombs, but it’ll be clean.

The standout, and I mean the real standout, is Saturday the 27th of September. We've got an SSE swell (about 3ft at a very nice 14-second period) hitting a combined energy of 504 – decent, not massive, but listen to this: light breeze of 6 mph from the NNE, cross-offshore, and the conditions are marked as "clean". That's the best combo in the whole forecast. Glassy, clean surf with a little bit of punch. Not big, but it’ll be fun.

The following Sunday the 28th keeps the good vibes going. Another early morning window with a NNE light breeze (6 mph), clean cross-offshore conditions, and a tiny 2ft NE windswell (9-second period, combined energy of only 65) – it's weak, but it's clean. Then the afternoon gets interesting again: a 3ft SSW groundswell with an absolutely cracking 18-second period and combined energy of 798, all under a light breeze. That's the pick for the whole window.

Water temp is sitting at 81°F with a 0.4° anomaly, so it's pretty average for the time of year – no surprises there. Middles/Generals is exposed to the ESE, and the best swells are coming in from the SSW, so they'll wrap in nicely. The break is fairly consistent, but be warned: the crowds can be "often" there. Still, for that Sunday the 28th afternoon, it's worth the paddle.

So, to sum it up from the 14th to the 24th, forget it. The 25th onwards is where we get a window. The real gold is Saturday the 27th morning through Sunday the 28th afternoon. Lock in that 28th afternoon session – that’s the one you want to be on.

Rusty.

Read more