Narrabeen-Alley Rights Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, grab a coffee and settle in. Let’s have a look at what’s coming for Narrabeen-Alley Rights over the next couple of weeks. I’ll tell you straight up – it’s a frustrating run for the most part. We’ve got a whole heap of days where the wind is just in the wrong spot or the swell is too small and weak to get excited about. There’s a solid window of poor surf from now through until the middle of next week, so don’t hold your breath.

The water temp here is sitting at 63°, which is about 1° cooler than usual for this time of year – nothing wild, just a touch on the fresh side.

Alright, let’s get into it. The first day that even raises an eyebrow is Friday 18th September. The morning is the pick. We get a clean, glassy start with a light offshore breeze out of the NW, and a solid 5ft swell rolling in from the ESE with a period of 10 seconds. That’s a decent groundswell with moderate energy (409), pushing some nice shape. This is a standout window – the best on offer by a long shot. It’s an exposed beach-and-sandbar setup that can handle an east-southeast direction well, and with the wind light offshore, it’ll be clean. Keep in mind this break is very consistent and draws an advanced crew, so it won’t be empty – crowds are likely. The swell is just under the 5ft mark, so it’s manageable for strong intermediates but not a beginner wave on the day.

Saturday 19th September morning still has some fun left. Another clean morning with a light offshore from the W, but the swell has backed off to 3ft from the ESE, still with a long 11-second period. Combined energy is moderate (238), so the waves will have some push but it’s smaller. Still a good option if you missed the Friday session. The afternoons on both days turn messy with cross-shore wind, so get in early.

After that, we’re back into a long stretch of near-flat or wind-chopped conditions. There’s a glimmer on Tuesday 22nd September morning, but it’s a marginal call. We get a 6ft swell from the SSE with an 8-second period, but the wind is cross-shore from the NE at 12 mph, creating a lumpy cross-chop. The combined energy is strong (504), meaning there’s plenty of water moving, but the short period and onshore-canted winds will make it a bumpy, messy affair. That size is getting into the expert-only zone for a beach break, honestly. It’s more of a kite-surfing day than a clean paddle session.

Late in the period, Sunday 27th September afternoon has a 5ft swell from the S with a 6-second period. The wind is cross-off from the NNE, so it’ll be clean, but the period is super short – that’s windswell, not groundswell – so the waves will be crumbly and lack power. Combined energy is moderate (222), but it’s not going to be a classic.

Bottom line: Friday 18th September morning is your standout. It’s clean, the swell has push and shape, and the wind plays ball. Saturday morning is a solid backup. Everything else in this 16-day window is either too small, too windy, or too messy to recommend for a proper paddle session.

Stay patient, and keep an eye on the wind shifts – it tends not to stay poor forever.

Rusty.

Read more