Middles/Generals Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and here’s the outlook for Middles/Generals.

Honestly, looking over the next couple of weeks, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got some solid swell on the way, but the wind is just not doing us any favours for the most part. The real story here is that cross and cross-onshore breeze that’s going to mess up the surface on most days. The water temp is sitting right around 81°F, which is pretty average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The first real opportunity kicks off this Friday afternoon, the 4th. We’re looking at clean, clear skies, but that wind is blowing steady from the ENE at 22 mph, right across the swell. It’s gonna be lumpy and cross-chop. The wave energy is pumping, though – I’m seeing a strong reading. The swell height is around 4 ft from the east, with a period of 14 seconds. That’s a nice long period groundswell, which means good shape potential, but at a beach break like this, it might be a bit too straight. Plus, the wind will put a crinkle on it. It’s a marginal call, mostly for the intermediates.

Saturday the 5th and Sunday the 6th see the swell jump up a bit more, hitting 7 ft from the east, still with that long 13-second period. The energy is huge on Saturday morning. But again, that cross-wind from the ENE is hanging around, 19 mph, keeping things lumpy. It’s not going to be clean and the crowd factor here is "often", so it might be a battle. This is getting into that size where beginners should sit it out, it’s more for the experienced crew on a good board.

Then from Monday the 7th through to the 16th, it’s a long stretch of pretty poor conditions. The wind either swings onshore or stays cross, and there are even a few days with a risk of thunderstorms. The swell stays in the 5 ft to 8 ft range, but the period drops to 7 or 8 seconds for most of that run – short period windswell that just won’t have any push or shape. The energy drops right off, too. It’s not looking good for a paddle.

There is a glimmer right at the end of the forecast window. On Saturday the 19th of September, the wind finally backs off. We’re talking a light breeze from the ENE at only 6 mph. The swell comes up to 8 ft from the east-northeast, with a period of 9 seconds. The energy is strong again. The wind state is light cross-onshore in the morning, then light cross-shore in the afternoon. This is easily the best-looking slot in the whole forecast. It’ll still be a bit of a challenge at that size – 8 ft is expert territory – but with light wind, it’ll be the cleanest we see. That Saturday morning is the standout. After that, the period is a bit short, but with that light wind, it’ll be way more fun than anything else on offer.

If you’re a kite surfer, the whole period from the 5th to the 15th, with that strong cross-shore wind and decent wave heights, that setup might look a lot more interesting than it does for us paddle guys.

Rusty.

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