Norman Bay (Wilsons Promontory) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for Norman Bay (Wilsons Promontory). It’s a mixed bag over the next two and a half weeks, but there are a couple of windows where this place will absolutely turn it on.

Right out of the gate, this Saturday morning, September 12, we’ve got glassy conditions and a clean 4ft SW groundswell rolling in. The water’s sitting at 56°F, which is pretty much spot-on average for this time of year – nothing to complain about. That’s a 16-second period, so it’s proper groundswell, pushing a moderate wave energy (715). Expect really nice lines for a beginner-friendly spot. Get in the water early; crowds can pop up sometimes, but for a clean, glassy 4ft SW, it’s worth sharing the peak. Saturday afternoon stays glassy, with the swell easing a hair to 4ft, still from the SW, still clean. That’s the pick of the early run.

Sunday the 13th starts messy with a light cross-shore and the swell dropping to 3ft, but the afternoon cleans up with offshore ENE wind. It’s small, but rideable. Monday and Tuesday look ordinary – onshore winds and chop, building to 6ft and 7ft on Tuesday, but with a fresh breeze ruining it. Wednesday the 16th is a big swell day – 6ft from the SW, but it’s cross-shore and a bit lumpy. Hard to get excited about that.

There’s a long, quiet spell from the 17th through the 20th – a solid four or five days where the wind just doesn’t cooperate. It’s onshore or cross-onshore almost constantly, and the surf quality is poor. Not worth paddling out for unless you like getting chopped up.

But then, hold onto your board. Tuesday, September 22, looks like the real standout. We’ve got a 6ft SW groundswell rolling in during the morning, with a 15-second period, and the wind swings to ESE – clean cross-off. That’s a big, strong swell with moderate-to-strong energy (1588). The afternoon gets even better: 5ft SW, clean offshore breeze from the ESE. This is the best on offer – solid size, clean, and that long period will wrap nicely into the bay. The water’s still average temp, so just a wetsuit will do.

Wednesday the 23rd keeps the clean theme with lighter ENE winds and a 4ft SW swell – good for a longboard or a fun board.

Then, if you can wait, Friday, September 25, is the other standout. Glassy morning conditions with a bloody solid 5ft SW groundswell, and the period is a massive 19 seconds. That’s very long period, pushing very strong wave energy (1734). This will be clean, powerful, and lined up nicely – ideal for experienced surfers. The afternoon holds at 5ft SW with a clean cross-off breeze. This is the other one to circle on the calendar.

After that, the weekend of the 26th and 27th gets messy again with strong onshore winds and a jumpy 8ft to 10ft SW swell. That’s expert-only territory, and with the onshore chop, it’s a write-off.

So, bottom line: get on the Saturday morning glass (September 12), save your energy for Tuesday the 22nd, and definitely pencil in Friday the 25th. The rest is mostly a write-off, but those windows are proper.

Rusty.

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