Norman Bay (Wilsons Promontory) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, mate, Rusty here. Let’s talk about Norman Bay.

The next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got a solid run of onshore winds and poor surf conditions coming up, so don’t expect much for the first week. There’s actually a long stretch from Saturday the 29th through to Thursday the 10th of September where the conditions are pretty average, with only a couple of marginal windows. The real standout doesn’t arrive until the second weekend.

Let’s start with the bad news: from Saturday the 29th all the way through to Thursday the 10th, the wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, and the swell is often messy. The water temp is 56°F, which is about normal for this time of year, so nothing unusual there. The combined swell energy is mostly in the moderate to strong range, hitting 686 (moderate) on the 29th, and even strong numbers like 2451 and 2553 on Thursday the 3rd, but the wind just ruins it. The 3rd of September has a 7ft to 8ft WSW swell with a 14-second period, but strong onshore winds make it a non-starter. The 7th and 8th of September pump out some serious energy – 5846 and 4742 – with 10ft swells, but again, the wind is howling onshore near gale force. That’s more of a kite-surfing setup than paddle surfing, if you ask me.

Now, the first glimmer of hope comes on Friday the 11th of September. The morning is still marginal, but Friday afternoon looks clean. The wind swings light cross-offshore from the SSE at 3 mph, and the swell is 4ft from the SW at a very long period of 19 seconds. That’s a groundswell with serious energy (955 – moderate), and the clean conditions should make for some nice, lined-up waves. The water temp is still around 56°F, normal for the season.

The real standout, though, is Saturday the 12th of September. This is the pick of the window. The swell builds to 6ft from the SW with a 17-second period, and the wind is light cross-offshore from the ENE at 6 mph in the morning, turning to pure offshore by the afternoon. The combined swell energy is strong at 2753 (morning) and 1591 (afternoon), and the conditions are rated excellent for experienced surfers. The 6ft swell is starting to push into the bigger range, so it’s not for beginners, but for anyone with a bit of experience, this is the day to get out. The offshore wind and long-period groundswell will make for clean, powerful waves – best handled at a point or reef, as beach breaks can get a bit straight with that long period.

Sunday the 13th still offers some clean surf, but the swell drops to 5ft and then 4ft, with light winds and cross-offshore conditions. It’s a good option if you missed Saturday, but not the standout.

So, bottom line: the first ten days are a write-off, but Friday the 11th afternoon and especially Saturday the 12th are the ones to circle. It’s a long-range call, so keep an eye on it, but right now it looks promising.

Rusty.

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