North Bar Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s cooking at North Bar.

Right off the bat, it’s a pretty quiet start. We’ve got a long stretch of small, messy surf with nothing really worth paddling out for. The first few days are mostly blown out or just tiny, so you’re better off leaving the board in the car. The action doesn’t even start to look half-decent until Sunday the 23rd, and even then it’s nothing to write home about.

Thursday afternoon the 20th, you’ve got a tiny 1ft swell from the SE with a short period of 7 seconds. The wind is offshore, so it’ll be clean, but the wave energy is weak (26) and the conditions are just poor. Not worth the wet suit zipper.

Friday the 21st through Saturday the 22nd is a write-off – onshore winds, choppy, and the swell is all over the place. Forget it.

Sunday the 23rd afternoon shows a little life. The swell bumps up to 4ft from the SSE, period still short at 6 seconds, but we get a gentle offshore breeze from the SW. The combined energy is moderate (143), and the report calls it "surfable waves but very ordinary." That’s about as good as it gets for a while. It’s not great, but if you’re desperate, this is the first real window.

The rest of the first week is a mix of tiny clean waves and wind-affected junk. Nothing consistent enough to plan a session around.

We hit a real dry spell from the 25th of August through to the 1st of September. The swell is tiny, the energy is weak, and most of it is just poor surf. A few moments with offshore winds keep it clean, but the waves are barely a ripple. It’s a frustrating gap.

The best on offer comes late in the window. Looking at Thursday the 4th of September, we finally see something worth talking about. The swell picks up to 5ft from the ESE, with an 8-second period. The combined energy is strong (291). The wind is forecast to be offshore from the SSW, giving us a gentle offshore breeze. This is the standout. The conditions are described as "expect good surf conditions" with clean, offshore waves. This is the one day where the stars align for a proper session. The swell is getting up there, so it’s going to be a fun size for intermediate crew, but beginners might find it a bit punchy. The direction is ESE, which is not the optimum E for this spot, but with that energy and clean wind, it’s the best we’ve seen by a long shot.

Water temperature at North Bar is sitting at 72°, which is about 0.5° above normal for this time of year – pretty average, nothing unusual.

So, to sum it up: a lot of waiting, a few mediocre days, and one clear winner on Thursday the 4th of September. That’s your day. The rest is just hoping for a change.

Rusty.

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