Middles Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – the next fortnight is shaping up as a pretty frustrating stretch for surf at Middles. We’ve got a solid run of days with waves on offer, but the conditions just aren’t playing ball for most of it. The good news is, there’s a glimmer of hope right at the tail end that could make it all worth the wait.

For the first week and a half, it’s a grind. From Tuesday, the 15th of September right through to Monday, the 28th, the surf is small and the wind is a constant issue. Expect a lot of cross-onshore and onshore breezes, with swell heights barely climbing past 3 ft to 5 ft on the better days, and the combined wave energy is mostly low, sitting between 18 and 228 (weak to moderate). The swell direction is mostly coming out of the ENE to NE, and with a short period of 4 to 9 seconds, it’s just not packing much punch. It’s the kind of window where you’ll see small, choppy lines and not much to get excited about. There’s a brief bump of 6 ft on the 23rd afternoon, but the onshore wind and a period of just 5 seconds kills it. Honestly, the only folks who might enjoy this are kite surfers – the consistent onshore wind and poor surf quality make it far more interesting for them than for paddle surfing.

Now, let’s talk about the standout. This is a special one, so listen up. On Tuesday morning, the 29th of September, we get a proper shift. The wind swings around to the NW and goes glassy – dead flat water, no ripples. Swell height hits 6 ft from the ENE with a period of 6 seconds, and the combined wave energy jumps to 239 (moderate). It’s not a massive swell, but the clean conditions will turn that into some fun, workable waves. This is your best bet of the whole run. If you can get out there early, you’ll be smiling.

Then, on Wednesday morning, the 30th of September, things go up a notch. The swell builds to 8 ft from the ENE with a period of 9 seconds, and the combined energy rockets to 1011 (strong wave energy). The wind is WSW at 6 mph, a nice cross-offshore breeze, and the forecast is clear. This is excellent surf, but it’s big – definitely too big for beginners, and really only suited to experienced surfers. This late in the forecast period, it’s a promising outlook, but remember, long-range forecasts can change, so keep an eye on it.

For the short periods of swell earlier in the window, the water temperature here hasn’t been flagged as unusual, so it’s about average for this time of year. No anomaly means you’re not getting any warm or cold surprises.

Crowds at Middles are possible, even likely when it’s good – it’s an exposed spot, so when it cleans up, people will show.

Alright, hope that helps you plan. Stay salty.

Rusty

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