Middles/Generals Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – this 16-day window for Middles/Generals is a bit of a grind. We’ve got a long stretch of messy, wind-affected surf to get through before we finally see something worth paddling out for. The first recommendation doesn't hit until Tuesday, September 1st, so we’re looking at a solid week of nothing from now until then.

The whole first week and a bit is a write-off. From Sunday morning, August 23rd, right through to Monday, September 1st, it’s all poor surf conditions. The wind is a relentless cross-shore breeze from the ENE, 25 to 25 mph, just chopping everything up. The swell is mostly short-period (7 seconds) windswell from the ENE, around 5 ft to 6 ft, with combined swell energy in the moderate range (492 to 649). The wave energy is there, but it’s ugly, lumpy cross-chop. There’s a brief moment on Wednesday, August 26th afternoon, where the swell direction spins to the south with a 18-second period, but it’s tiny at 2 ft and still cross-shore wind. Not worth it.

The real glimmer comes on Tuesday, September 1st. We’ve got a marginal surf forecast, but at least there’s something on the table. The morning sees a 7 ft swell from the ENE, with a period of 9 seconds, and combined swell energy is strong at 1274. The wind drops to a moderate 12 mph cross-shore breeze from the ENE. It’s not perfect, but it’s the first day we’ve had a chance, and the cross-chop should be manageable. The afternoon stays similar, 7 ft, but the wind goes cross-on, making it choppier and less appealing.

Then we hit the real standouts. Monday, September 7th is the day to circle on the calendar. The morning starts with a 8 ft ENE swell, 12-second period, producing very strong wave energy (2630). The wind is a gentle 9 mph cross-shore from the NE – that’s going to be clean with just a slight cross-chop. This is starting to look good. But the afternoon is where it’s at. The wind goes light, 6 mph from the north, and shifts to a light cross-offshore breeze. The swell bumps up to 10 ft from the ENE, with a 12-second period, and the combined energy is massive at 2913. The comment says it’s wind and tide favorable, but the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. That 10 ft is over 8 ft, so this is strictly for experts only. The 12-second period is a solid groundswell, and with that cross-offshore wind, the waves are going to be clean and powerful. The swell direction is ENE, which is exposed and optimum for Middles/Generals, but it’s a beach break, so with that long period, it might break a bit straight. Still, for the crew with the skills, this is the best on offer.

In the second week, the runs from Wednesday, September 3rd to Saturday, September 6th are all marginal surf with lumpy cross-shore winds and swell around 7 ft to 8 ft, but the wind is always cross-shore at 19-22 mph, spoiling it. The energy is strong (1020 to 2166), but the quality isn’t there.

So, to wrap it up: the first week is a total dud. The best window is the afternoon of September 7th for the experts. For everyone else, Tuesday, September 1st morning is your only other real shot, but it’s marginal. The water temp is 81°F on the first day, with a +0.5°F anomaly, so it’s about average for this time of year. Stay patient, and if you’re a hellman, mark that Monday.

Rusty.

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