Lighthouse Right Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, this is Rusty. Let me tell you about the next couple of weeks at Lighthouse Right (Noumea-Pass). Honestly, it’s pretty slim pickings out there for most of the 16-day stretch. The water is about average for the time of year, nothing unusual going on.

We start off with a long, quiet run. From Monday 10 August through to Thursday morning 13 August, it’s small and pretty average. Monday morning has a weak 0.4m of SW swell at 9 seconds, with a cross-onshore wind that chops everything up. Combined energy is low at 22. Not worth paddling out. Monday afternoon is even smaller. Tuesday morning sees a slight bump with a 0.4m SW swell at 16 seconds – that long period gives the wave a bit more shape – and a light cross-offshore wind that cleans things up. It’s surfable but ordinary, with only 1 out of 10 quality. Combined energy is 64. Tuesday afternoon goes flat. Wednesday morning is glassy, with a 0.4m SW swell at 19 seconds – that’s a very long period groundswell, which means good shape but longer lulls, energy at 96. Again, just ordinary. Thursday morning sees a tiny 0.6m SW swell at 11 seconds with clean cross-offshore wind, energy 137. Still not exciting.

Then things change. Thursday afternoon sees building wind, and by Friday 14 August we get a big jump in size. Friday morning delivers a 2.0m SSW swell at 10 seconds – that’s a lot of water moving, with combined energy up at 1481 – but it’s cross-onshore and choppy, poor conditions. That’s solid intermediate-to-advanced size (over 1.5m, so not for beginners), but the wind kills it. Friday afternoon has a 2.1m SSW swell at 10 seconds with onshore wind, energy 1561 – still messy. Saturday 15 August morning has 1.8m SSW swell at 9 seconds with onshore wind, energy 737. Not worth it. Saturday afternoon drops right off to 0.4m but with a 20-second period, energy 306.

Sunday 16 August is probably the best you’ll get, and even that’s a stretch. Sunday morning sees a solid 1.9m SSW swell at 18 seconds – that’s a big, long-period groundswell – with combined energy of 2273. It’s big, over 1.5m, so not for beginners. But the wind is cross-onshore from the SE, making it choppy. The break is a reef, and with that long period (over 15 seconds) it tends to break a bit straight on a beach setup, but on a reef like Lighthouse Right, it can still produce. Still, the wind is the killer. That’s about the standout. Sunday afternoon is similar but even more wind.

From Monday 17 August through to the end of the outlook, it’s all poor quality. The swell sticks around between 1.6m and 0.1m, but the wind is consistently from the ESE through SSE, moderate to fresh, cross-onshore or onshore, making everything choppy or messy. Combined energy drops from 1186 down to 8 by Saturday 22 August. There are a few patches of small swell with very long period (16-18 seconds) on the 20th and 21st, but the wind and tiny size mean it’s not worth it.

There’s a long gap from late Saturday 22 August to Monday 25 August with almost nothing – flat at times.

If you’re desperate, Sunday 16 August morning is the only time with some size and a chance, but that cross-onshore wind will make you work for it. Otherwise, it’s a quiet stretch. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing on those bigger, wind-affected days.

Rusty.

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