North Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright mate, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what’s on offer for North Beach over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, it’s a bit of a slow start. North Beach is an exposed beach/pier set-up, and the water temp is sitting at 21°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there. The first few days are a write-off for any decent surf. Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th are plagued by lumpy, messy conditions with cross-onshore winds and poor surf quality. Monday the 31st and Tuesday the 1st of September stay marginal at best, with small, weak energy and light cross-onshore chop. The combined swell energy is low, mostly under 300 (294), so not much push.

We’ve got a gap of poor to marginal conditions until things start to look up. Wednesday the 2nd and Thursday the 3rd morning are still ordinary, but then Thursday afternoon the 3rd of September brings a glimmer of hope. The wind goes glassy, with a light easterly breeze and the swell bumps up to 8 ft from the SSW, but the period is a short 6 seconds, so it’s a bit junky. Still, glassy conditions are rare and it’ll be the cleanest surf we’ve seen so far.

Now, the standout window looks like Friday the 4th of September morning. Swell is pumping at 10 ft from the SSE with a moderate cross-shore breeze. The combined energy is a massive 2565, so there’s plenty of power. But here’s the catch – that’s too big for this exposed beach break, especially for beginners. This is strictly for the experienced crew. The afternoon fades quickly with messy cross-onshore winds.

Looking further out, Saturday the 5th and Sunday the 6th of September see a return of cross-onshore winds and lumpy surf, though Sunday afternoon has a slight chance of cleaner conditions with light cross-onshore and a 5 ft S swell at 13 seconds. The long period will suit the point and reef setups better than the beach, but it’s still marginal.

The rest of the second week, from the 7th to the 13th of September, is mostly a struggle. Winds are generally cross-shore or cross-onshore, and the swell direction swings around a lot. There’s a brief window on Thursday the 10th and Friday the 11th of September mornings with light winds and 6 ft to 7 ft ENE swell, but the period is short, and the energy is moderate (507 and 965). It’s not terrible, but it’s not the kind of day you’d drive across town for.

If you’re a kiter, the strong winds and lumpy conditions on some of those bigger days might be more your thing, especially with the exposed beach setup. For the rest of us, the best bet is Thursday afternoon the 3rd of September for those glassy, clean 8 ft waves, or Friday morning the 4th for the big, powerful 10 ft swell if you’ve got the skill and the nerve. Keep an eye on the long-range forecasts – the 13th of September has a 5 ft S swell with 9 seconds, but it’s a cross-onshore day, so it’s likely a miss.

Rusty out.

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