Norman Bay (Wilsons Promontory) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Norman Bay.

Gotta be straight with you – for the next week and a half, it’s a tough slog. The wind is almost always blowing from the wrong direction, either cross-on or straight onshore, and the swell is mostly messy or lumpy. The water temp is sitting at 56°, which is about average for this time of year, so no worries there, but the conditions are just not playing the game.

We’ve got a long gap of poor surf from Monday the 7th right through to Saturday the 19th of September. That’s a solid run of days where I wouldn’t bother paddling out. The swell is there, but it’s crossed up, and the wind is ruining it. The combined energy jumps up to 4881 (very strong) on Wednesday the 9th, but it’s a 7ft to 8ft swell with a cross-on gale – that’s a mess, not a wave. Big, dangerous, and ugly. For the beginners out there, that swell is way too big, and the wind is ugly.

The first real light at the end of the tunnel shows up on Sunday the 20th of September. Finally, we get a clean forecast. The wind swings around to a light ESE breeze (6 mph), becoming cross-offshore, and then dropping to a true offshore in the afternoon. Swell is a solid 4ft to 5ft from the SW, with a period of 15-16 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell. The energy sits at 1018 (moderate), and the ripple is clean. This is the standout moment of the whole window. The water is still cool, but the surf will be clean and lined up.

Then Monday the 21st keeps the good run going. The wind stays offshore from the ENE at 12 mph, with the swell building to 6ft in the afternoon. The energy jumps to 1310 (moderate), and the comment says “very good surf conditions.” That’s a solid day.

The absolute best bet, if you can wait, is Tuesday the 22nd of September. The morning brings a light offshore breeze from the east, a 3ft swell from the SW with a very long period of 20 seconds, and the combined energy is 1334 (moderate). The report says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” That long period will make the waves shape up beautifully, but it might be a bit straight at the beach – it’s best for the points or reefs if there were any. Still, for Norman Bay, that’s as good as it gets. The afternoon holds a 5ft swell with a 19-second period, clean and cross-off. It’s a top pick.

So, the next 16 days are mostly a write-off until the 20th, but then we get a nice little run of clean, offshore surf. The 22nd is the one to mark on the calendar.

Rusty.

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