North wall Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Well, lookin’ over the next 16 days at Northwall, it’s a bit of a slow burn. We’ve got a long stretch of small, unremarkable surf to kick things off, before a solid pulse of energy rolls in around the second week. The standout window is definitely the 9th through the 11th of September, but it’s not for the faint-hearted.

The water’s sitting at 69°F, which is about average for this time of year – nothing unusual there.

First up, Tuesday the 1st of September morning. It’s tiny, with a 1ft SSE groundswell rolling in with a very long 16-second period. The combined energy is moderate (233), and with a light cross-offshore breeze, it’s clean. This is a beginner-friendly wave, but it’s inconsistent and the sets will be few and far between due to that long period. It’s surfable, but you’ll be waiting.

From Tuesday afternoon right through to the morning of the 9th, it’s a wasteland. We’re talking over a week of tiny, weak, and often choppy surf. The winds are all over the shop – onshore, cross-shore, you name it – and the swell energy is mostly low, dipping into double digits like 49 and 46. The best you’ll get is a few clean but very ordinary waves on the mornings of the 2nd, 3rd, and 7th of September, with small 2ft to 3ft S swell. Honestly, not worth paddling out for unless you’re desperate for a splash.

Then things change. Wednesday the 9th of September morning brings a punchy 6ft S swell, but it’s short-period at 8 seconds and the wind is a howling 25 mph cross-offshore. The energy is strong (430), but it’s sloppy and messy – more of a windswell than a proper groundswell. This is only for the experienced crew, and even then, it’s not great.

The real action, however, is on Thursday the 10th of September. Morning sees a solid 8ft SSE swell with a moderate 11-second period, and the combined energy cranks up to a massive 1688. The wind is a moderate cross-shore, which is manageable. This is expert territory – over 8ft, it’s big and powerful. The afternoon cleans up a touch with a 6ft SSE swell, but the period stretches to a very long 15 seconds, and the energy is off the charts at 2374. That’s a serious groundswell. The cross-shore wind will keep it from being perfect, but it’s raw and pumping. This is the best on offer, but strictly for the big-wave chargers.

Friday the 11th of September stays solid with a consistent 7ft SSE swell, moderate period around 10-11 seconds, and energy in the 800-900 range. The wind is light and cross-onshore, so it’ll be a bit bumpy, but the power is there. Again, experts only.

After that, it fades fast. From Saturday the 12th of September onwards, the swell drops back to 4ft and below, the winds turn onshore, and the energy fizzles out to low triple or double digits. The last morning of the outlook, Wednesday the 16th of September, has a tiny 2ft SSE swell with glassy conditions – surfable but very ordinary.

So, to sum it up: the first week-plus is a write-off. The only true standout is Thursday the 10th of September, with that massive, powerful groundswell. If you’re an expert, that’s your window. For everyone else, it’s a long wait for something small and clean that never really shows up.

Rusty.

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