New Brighton Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let’s have a look at what’s on offer for New Brighton Beach over the next couple of weeks. I’ll be straight with you: the first week and a half is pretty quiet. We’ve got a long stretch from Tuesday the 15th of September right through to the afternoon of Wednesday the 23rd where conditions are labelled poor, with swell heights hanging around the 0.3 ft to 2 ft mark. There’s a bit of energy moving through, but it’s not lining up for us at all. The combined wave energy is weak, rarely cracking triple digits, and the wave comments say it all: “poor surf conditions.” Not much to get excited about.

Now, the first sign of a pulse finally shows on Wednesday afternoon the 23rd, and it’s a bit of a mixed bag. Swell pushes up to 4 ft from the SSE, with a period of 13 seconds – that’s a proper groundswell period. The combined energy jumps to 376 (moderate wave energy), but the swell direction is coming from the SSE and our optimum is ENE, so it’s not hitting the bank right. Winds are cross-offshore from the SSW at 16 mph, which will keep it clean, but the wave rating is still poor. One to watch, but not a standout.

The real window of opportunity opens on the afternoon of Wednesday the 24th of September. We get 3 ft of swell out of the SE, with a 13-second period, and the combined energy reads 252 (moderate wave energy). Winds go glassy from the south at 3 mph, making it as clean as a whistle. The score finally tips into “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” For New Brighton, a beginner-friendly beach, this is the closest we get to a highlight. Swell size is small, so it’s safe for learning, but don’t expect barrels. Crowds are listed as “sometimes,” so there could be a few out, but with conditions like this, it won’t be packed.

Heading into the final days of September, there’s a handful of mornings and afternoons from the 25th to the 30th that offer “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” Swell is small – around 1 ft to 1 ft – but we see some very long-period energy showing up on the 29th and 30th with periods up to 17 and 18 seconds from the SSE. That kind of period suggests better shaped waves but tends to straighten out at a beach break like this. Winds are light and often offshore or glassy, so it’ll look clean. The best of these final days is Tuesday afternoon the 29th: glassy conditions, 1 ft from the SSE, 18-second period with combined energy of 73 (weak). It’s small, but if you want a longboard or a foiler, that’s your call. Overall, pick your window carefully.

Rusty

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