North Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it – this 16-day window for North Street is a real struggle. The long-range picture is pretty flat, and the near-term isn’t much better. We’ve got a whole lot of days with tiny, weak waves and mostly poor conditions. You’ll be waiting a while between any real glimmers of hope.

The water’s sitting at 77°F which is *much warmer than normal* for this time of year – a solid 4°F above the average. That’s a definite talking point, but it’s not going to help the waves.

Starting off, Sunday the 30th of August is a no-go. We’re looking at a tiny 1ft swell from the SE with a short 8-second period, and a cross-shore breeze making it a choppy mess. Combined energy is a very weak 21. Not a single thing to recommend.

Monday the 31st of August is a tease. The morning shows a glassy 2ft wave from the south, but the period is a super short 5 seconds, and the energy is back down to 21. It’s clean but it’s just not got any push. The afternoon gets a bit of rain and a cross-shore wind, so that’s that.

Tuesday the 1st of September offers a glassy start with 1ft from the SE, but again, 7-second period – it’s not going to break with any shape. The energy is a weak 19. The afternoon gets a cross-onshore breeze that ruins the surface.

Wednesday the 2nd of September is the first time we see a bit of promise. The morning brings a glassy 2ft swell from the SE with a proper 11-second period. This is the longest period in the run, and the combined energy jumps to 100 (moderate). This is the best-looking window of the entire forecast. The waves will have a bit more length and push, and with no wind, it’s your best chance for a clean, fun little wave. I’d call this the standout – but keep expectations in check, it’s still a small wave. The afternoon gets a cross-onshore wind that blows it out.

Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th of September are both clean with offshore or glassy winds, but the swell is tiny (1ft to 2ft) and the energy is very low (45-60). You’ll see a few rideable lumps but nothing to get excited about.

From Saturday the 5th of September through to the 14th of September, it’s a long, drawn-out period of desperation. The swell is almost non-existent, mostly under 2ft, and the energy is pathetically weak (single digits and low double digits). Some days have clean offshore winds (like the 12th, 13th, and 14th of September), but it’s flat. The 9th of September has a bigger 4ft swell from the ENE, but it’s a short 7-second period, heavily cross-onshore, and the energy is 280 – but it’s a messy, choppy wall. That’s more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddling one.

So, to put it straight: the only real standout is Wednesday morning the 2nd of September. It’s not a classic, but it’s the only time the stars nearly align for a clean, glassy, longer-period wave. The rest of the fortnight is a write-off for a decent paddle. Hang in there, the forecasts can change.

Rusty.

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