Noorderstrand Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you. Looking at the whole 16-day window, I’ve got to be honest – there’s not a single session worth paddling out for. The guidance gives Noorderstrand a beginner-friendly rating but the finder data shows every single period is labelled as "poor surf conditions". That’s a long, flat, or messy run from start to finish.

We’ve got a gap right from the start. The first recommendation is for Sunday the 23rd of August, but it’s tiny. Waves are 3 ft from the NNW with a short period of 7 seconds. The combined wave energy is only 97 (very weak). The wind is onshore from the NNW at 9 mph, so it’s choppy and messy. Water temp is 70°F, which is a wild 5°F warmer than normal for this time of year – that’s very unusual, but it won’t help the surf.

The rest of the first week is a bust. Swell heights drop to 2 ft, 2 ft, even 1 ft. The periods are short, and the wind is mostly cross-off or cross-shore, but it’s just too small and weak. By Monday the 25th of August, it’s 2 ft with a 5-second period and energy down to 20 – that’s barely a ripple. The wind is cross-off from the E at 16 mph, which keeps it clean, but there’s nothing to ride.

We then hit a flat spell from Thursday the 27th of August morning – zero swell, zero energy. That lasts through the end of the month. The only thing that changes is the wind. On Wednesday the 26th of August morning, we get a gentle offshore from the SSE at 9 mph, but the swell is only 1 ft. It’s clean, but you’d be floating.

The next pulse shows up on Saturday the 29th of August. Swell jumps to 7 ft from the SW, period 7 seconds, energy 364 (moderate). But the wind is a fresh cross-onshore from the W at 19 mph, making it lumpy. The next day, Sunday the 30th of August, brings 7 ft from the WSW, but the wind is a fresh cross-shore from the SW at 22 mph, with energy 341. It’s messy. By the afternoon, it’s 7 ft with a strong breeze at 28 mph – that’s more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle session. Same story on Monday the 31st of August: 5 ft from the WNW but cross-onshore wind at 19 mph.

The second week is more of the same. On Tuesday the 1st of September, we drop to 2 ft from the NNW, cross-onshore wind. Thursday the 3rd of September sees 3 ft from the NNW, but it’s cross-shore wind at 16 mph. The best looking window in the whole outlook is probably Wednesday the 2nd of September: 1 ft from the NNW, light cross-offshore wind from the E at 6-9 mph, clean – but the swell is tiny. Then Friday the 4th of September brings 4 ft from the WSW, but it’s cross-onshore and choppy.

The last few days of the outlook, the 6th and 7th of September, show some size again. Saturday the 6th of September has 5 ft from the WNW with a fresh cross-shore wind, energy 135. Monday the 7th of September has 6 ft and 7 ft from the WSW and W, but the wind is a strong breeze at 25 mph – again, messy and lumpy.

So, the honest truth: there are no standout sessions. The biggest swells are all blown out by strong onshore or cross-shore winds. The cleanest days are too small. If you’re desperate for a paddle, Wednesday the 2nd of September morning might be the only time you can sit on a board in clean water, but don’t expect a wave. For the rest, it’s a write-off. Hopefully the long-range forecasts change – it tends not to stay this poor for this area for too long.

Rusty.

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