Norries Head Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve gotta be straight with you – the next couple of weeks at Norries Head are a tough watch. This point break is inconsistent at the best of times, and most of the forecast window is a write-off for a proper paddle. We’re looking at a long, dry spell with almost nothing to get excited about until the very end.

Right now, through the start of the period, it’s flat and ugly. Wednesday afternoon the 9th has a tiny 1ft easterly bump with a period of 9 seconds, but it’s cross-onshore and the combined energy is a weak 16 – that’s barely a ripple. The water temperature is sitting at 70°, which is about normal for this time of year, so no surprises there. Thursday and Friday are even worse, with swell dropping to 0.3ft or 0.7ft and messy winds. There’s a little spike on Saturday morning the 12th with 6ft of short-period SE swell, energy hitting 363, but it’s cross-onshore and lumpy – not worth the drive. The following week is a grind of tiny, weak swell and mostly cross-onshore breezes. The only real bright spot is Tuesday morning the 15th, when a light northerly gives us a clean, cross-off wind, but the swell is only 2ft with a 6-second period and energy of just 36 – you’d be scratching for anything.

Then we hit the final stretch. Sunday the 20th of September is the standout, and it’s a full week and a half away, so keep that in mind. The morning brings a solid 8ft of SE groundswell, with a period of 9 seconds and strong energy reading of 896. The wind is light and onshore, which is a bit of a shame, but for a point break, that size and direction could set up some nice lines. That’s expert territory though – 8ft is too much for beginners. The afternoon drops to 7ft with energy of 739, still solid. The following days ease off, with Monday the 21st offering 5ft from the SE and lighter cross-onshore conditions, energy at 380, but the quality is still marginal.

The real hidden gem in this whole forecast is Thursday the 24th of September. By the afternoon, we’ve got 4ft of ESE swell with a period of 10 seconds, a clean cross-off northerly breeze, and the combined energy is a solid 375. The guidance says Norries Head loves swell from the NE, and this is coming from the ESE, but the wind is perfect and the conditions are clean. This is the pick of the bunch – a rare, clean session at an inconsistent spot. Crowds are often an issue here, so get in early.

But honestly, for most of the 16 days, the surf is tiny or blown out. If you’re a kite surfer, the stronger winds and choppy conditions on days like Saturday the 12th might look more interesting than a paddle. For the rest of us, it’s a waiting game until that final week, and even then, only the 24th looks like a true winner.

Rusty.

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