Nimitz Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, mates, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what Nimitz Beach has in store for us over the next couple of weeks. Gotta be straight with you – this forecast is a tough one to get excited about. We’ve got a lot of days with “marginal” or “poor” ratings, so you’ll need to pick your moments carefully.

The overall pattern is mostly weak, short-period windswell hitting an exposed south-facing reef, but the wind is almost always a problem. For the first week, from Friday 28 August through to Saturday 5 September, it’s a dull run. Winds are a persistent moderate to fresh cross-offshore from the ENE, which is clean enough, but the swell is either too small—mostly 2ft to 3ft—or when it does push up a little, like on Sunday 30 August afternoon with a 6ft easterly windswell, the period drops to a meager 7 seconds. That’s just lumpy, short-period junk. The combined energy is moderate at best, sitting around 513 to 950 (moderate wave energy), but it doesn’t translate to quality.

The water temp is a warm 82°, which is about average for this time of year here.

Now, Sunday 6 September morning shows a bit of a pulse. We’ve got a 6ft easterly swell, period 9 seconds, combined energy hitting 1010 (strong wave energy). The wind is a gentle 9 mph from the ENE, still cross-off. This is the best the whole window offers, but it’s still a “marginal” call. The size is getting up there – over 5ft, so this is not for beginners. For the confident crew, it might offer some fun if the tide plays nice.

The quality drops again through Monday and Tuesday, but then Tuesday 8 September morning brings a change. The wind swings to a light offshore from the NNE at 15 mph, and we get a clean, long-period SSW groundswell at 4ft, period 16 seconds. The combined energy is solid at 606 (moderate wave energy). Now, a long period like that on a reef break like Nimitz Beach can be a good thing, creating some well-shaped lines. However, with that southerly direction and the spot being exposed to the south, it might be a bit shifty. This is the second best call, but still just a “marginal” rating.

After that, the forecast falls apart again. By Wednesday 9 September, the wind ramps up to a near-gale 34 mph from the ENE with a risk of thunderstorms – just ugly. The last few days from 10 to 12 September are all tiny onshore slop with winds from the south and southeast, not worth a paddle.

The standout here, if you can call it that, is the Sunday 6 September morning session with that 6ft east swell and light winds. It’s the only time the energy gets into the strong range and the wind is manageable. Just keep your expectations in check.

This is Rusty, signing off.

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