Noorderstrand Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, I’ve had a look at the charts for our little corner, and if I’m being honest, it’s a pretty grim 16-day run for the Noorderstrand. The swell window is open, but the winds are just not playing ball at all. The water is currently sitting at 68°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, a real anomaly of 4°, so at least the water temp is a bit of a treat.

We’ve got a long stretch of poor conditions ahead. The first real window of any interest – and I’m using that term loosely – doesn’t show up until the morning of Sunday the 13th of September. From right now, that’s a solid week of waiting with nothing recommended. The early days are a write-off: Saturday the 5th sees a 6ft WNW swell with a short 6-second period, but it’s getting hammered by a fresh 19 mph cross-onshore wind, making it lumpy and messy. The swell energy is moderate at 253, but it’s wasted.

Sunday the 6th and Monday the 7th are tiny, with clean cross-offshore winds but basically no size. The pattern then shifts to a lot of wind from the WSW through the 8th and 9th, with moderate combined energy (131 to 178), but again, the wind is onshore or cross-onshore, creating chop. The swell pop up on the 12th of September is a standout for size, with a 7ft NNW swell on Saturday morning, and the combined energy jumps to a strong 395, but it’s accompanied by rain showers and a 12 mph onshore wind. That’s a messy, powerful wave that’s only for the experts, and the quality is poor for paddle surfing – honestly, that setup looks more interesting for kite surfing.

The only glimmer of hope is the morning of Sunday the 13th of September. We get a small 3ft wave from the north at 7 seconds, with a light ENE breeze that’s absolutely glassy. The combined energy is a weak 89. The data says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” which is about as optimistic as it gets for this forecast. It’s small, clean, and there’s a chance of a few fun little rollers if you’re on a longboard. The break is fairly consistent, and crowds are often around, so expect some company. That’s the best on offer, but it’s not a dial-in.

After that, the second week falls off a cliff. From the 14th of September onward, the swell drops to under 2ft, with a mix of cross-on and onshore winds that just kill any chance of quality. The long period swells on the 15th and 16th (11 to 13 seconds) are a tease, but the significant wave height is only 0.7ft, so there’s nothing to ride. The rest of the 16-day window is flat and messy. It’s a blank run, but for this area, that’s not unusual when the wind pattern locks in like this.

Rusty.

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