North Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about North Beach.

The next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got some decent pulse of swell rolling through, but don’t expect a lot of perfect, groomed waves. The best window is actually a little further out, so you’ll have to be patient.

Right now, Sunday the 30th has some surf, but it’s marginal. Swell is around 4 ft from the ENE with a 10-second period, but the wind is a cross-off from the SSW at 16 mph, which is keeping things somewhat clean. Combined wave energy is moderate (501). The water temperature is 70°, which is about average for this time of year, no surprises there.

Monday and Tuesday are pretty flat or poor. You’ll see some small 4 ft E swell, but the wind is onshore or cross-shore, and the wave quality is just not there. A lot of “poor surf conditions” flags. There’s a gap of a few days with no real recommendation.

Now, Wednesday the 2nd of September shows a bit of promise in the afternoon. Swell drops to 3 ft, but it’s coming from the SSW with a very long period of 17 seconds. That’s serious groundswell energy (597) and the wind goes glassy – light off the ESE at 3 mph. Surfline calls it “expect very good surf conditions.” Worth a look for a clean, long-period groundswell, but it’s small, so grab a log.

For the rest of the week, the swell builds fast. Thursday the 3rd has a 7 ft NE swell in the morning, but the wind is a messy cross-shore. Friday the 4th gets bigger, up to 8 ft from the S, strong energy (1802), but the wind is still cross/off. Not clean.

The standout window is over the weekend of the 5th and 6th of September. Saturday morning, the swell is 10 ft from the south (3017 energy), with light SSE winds. The forecast says “wind and tide favorable, but the swell is predicted to be too big for this break.” That’s expert territory. Saturday afternoon jumps to 15 ft, still too big. Sunday morning the 6th has 12 ft from the SSW (2007 energy) with a cross-off wind, again too big for most. This is a big, powerful south swell, and it’s definitely for the experienced crew only.

The next week (from the 7th) is a mess. Huge swell (16 ft+, 8603 energy), near gale-force winds, and rain. The surf is basically blown out or too dangerous. There’s a long gap here with no real surfable conditions.

Then, finally, Thursday the 10th of September looks like the best, most accessible surf of the whole forecast. The swell drops to 7 ft from the ESE, with a 12-second period, and the wind is light cross-off from the SSW at only 6 mph. Combined energy is still strong (1431) but it’s called “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” That’s your one to circle. The wind is light, the swell is clean, and it’s a solid wave size. After that, the swell slowly fades and the wind turns onshore again, with small, poor waves through the 12th and 13th.

So, bottom line: this isn’t a week for beginners, unless you’re happy with tiny glassy waves on Wednesday the 2nd. The real highlight is Thursday the 10th of September – excellent conditions, clean, overhead swell for experienced surfers. Keep an eye on that one.

Rusty.

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