Norries Head Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ve gotta be straight with you – this 16-day window for Norries Head is a real tough one. There’s not a single session that’s worth paddling out for, and the data backs that up. The forecast is packed with “poor surf conditions” across the board, so we’re looking at a long, frustrating stretch.

The first real chance to even think about a wave comes on Sunday, the 6th of September, but it’s not a good one. Sunday morning shows a 4ft swell from the north with a short period of 6 seconds, making for choppy, weak lines. The combined energy is only 127, which is moderate but messy. The wind is a cross-offshore from the NNW at 9 mph, which keeps the surface clean, but the swell is too short and weak to form anything decent. It’s a beginner-friendly height, but the quality just isn’t there.

Sunday afternoon ticks up to 4ft from the north, still with that short 6-second period, and the energy climbs to 143 – still moderate. But the wind swings to a cross-onshore from the SSE at 6 mph, putting a light chop on the surface. It’s not worth the drive.

The week that follows is even worse. From Monday the 7th through to the end of the first week, we’re stuck with tiny swells – mostly 1ft to 1ft – with weak energy in the teens to low 30s. Winds are generally cross or cross-onshore, and there’s a few glassy moments on Wednesday the 9th (NE 3 mph, glassy) and Tuesday the 15th (NE 3 mph, glassy), but the swell is so small – 1ft and 0.7ft respectively – it’s barely a ripple. You’d be floating, not surfing.

The second week doesn’t offer any relief. A pulse of swell shows up on the 11th of September – Friday morning – with a 7ft swell from the SE, period of 9 seconds, and strong energy (631). That’s a solid size, but it’s too big for beginners and the wind is a cross-onshore from the SE at 12 mph, making it choppy and lumpy. The setup is a point break, but with that wind and the short period, it’s not going to be clean. Friday afternoon is similar, with 6ft from the SE, energy of 443, and the same wind.

After that, we’re back to small, weak swells for the rest of the window. The 16th of September sees a 4ft from the SE with a 10-second period and energy of 290, but the wind is a cross-shore from the SSW at 16 mph, creating a cross-chop. It’s just not surfable.

The water temperature around Norries Head is about 69°F, which is normal for this time of year – the anomaly is a tiny -0.5°F, so nothing unusual there.

Honestly, there’s nothing to get excited about. The break is inconsistent and rarely breaks well, and this forecast is a classic example of a blank run for the area. It’s more normal here to have long gaps with no real surf. The only thing that might save the day is if the forecasts change, but for now, leave the board at home.

Rusty

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