No Pass Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – this is a tough stretch of days for the reef at No Pass. We’ve got a long, drawn-out run of frustrating conditions ahead, so let’s break it down.

The overall pattern is one of persistent cross-onshore winds and choppy, lumpy conditions that are going to ruin what little swell is on offer. The water’s sitting at 57°, which is about normal for this time of year, nothing wild there.

We start off with a few days of small, long-period SSW groundswell. Tuesday afternoon the 18th sees a 3 ft swell from the SSW with a period of 15 seconds, but it’s got a cross-on breeze and the energy is moderate (543). It’s marginal at best. Wednesday the 19th is more of the same, with the wind staying cross-on and the swell a bit smaller. Thursday the 20th afternoon finally sees the wind go glassy, and you might get a few clean, small waves at 3 ft from the SSW, but it’s still very weak in energy (492). That’s a tiny window.

Friday the 21st morning offers a brief moment of offshore wind with a 2 ft SSW swell, but it’s weak (450) and the consistency is questionable. Saturday the 22nd goes downhill with a sudden jump in wind speed and a short-period, messy NW windswell on the afternoon – that’s kite-surfing weather, not for paddling. Sunday the 23rd has a glassy afternoon with a 4 ft NW swell, but the period is only 8 seconds, so it’s weak and lumpy. The energy is moderate (477), but it’s not going to be the quality you’re after.

The following week is a grim pattern. Monday the 24th has a brief glassy moment with a 2 ft SW swell, but it’s weak. After that, we’re looking at a serious gap. From Tuesday the 25th right through to Wednesday the 2nd of September, it’s a relentless run of poor surf. The wind is almost always cross-on, often moderate to fresh, and the swell is either too small, too short-period, or both. You’ll see a few pulses of energy – like the 7 ft NW swell on Thursday the 27th afternoon, but it’s getting hammered by a 30 km/h cross-on wind, making it a complete mess. That’s expert-only, blown-out junk. The energy gets high (738) but the quality is zero.

The real standout, if you can call it that, is the brief glassy window on Thursday the 20th afternoon. That 3 ft SSW groundswell with clean conditions is your best bet, but it’s tiny. For a slightly bigger but still tricky option, the glassy Sunday afternoon the 23rd with a 4 ft NW swell is the only other time you’ll get clean conditions, though the short period means it won’t hold shape well.

Truth is, this is a blank run. The reef is getting constant wind and chop, and the few clean windows are too small to get excited about. Don’t hold your breath; forecasts can change, but right now, it’s a lean month.

Rusty.

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