Packery Channel Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for the next stretch at Packery Channel.

Honestly, I gotta be straight with you – the whole 16-day window looks pretty flat and sloppy. We’re looking at a long stretch of poor surf conditions with hardly any energy. The first recommendation doesn’t even come up until the very end of the month, and even then, it’s slim pickings.

For the first few days, from Saturday the 29th of August through the morning of Sunday the 6th of September, we’re stuck with tiny swell and mostly onshore or cross-onshore winds. The combined wave energy is weak, sitting between 8 and 38 (that’s weak energy). The swell is barely 0.7 ft to 2 ft, mostly from the ESE or SSE, with periods around 4 to 9 seconds – short, weak windswell. Winds are often from the ESE or SE, blowing onshore or cross-onshore, keeping things choppy and messy. There’s a little glimmer on the morning of Saturday the 29th with glassy conditions, but the swell is only 1 ft and 4 seconds from the SE – not enough to ride. The water temp is a warm 86°, which is about 2° above average for this time of year, so it’s a little toastier than usual.

Then from the 6th of September onwards, it’s a similar story. The swell picks up slightly to 3 ft to 3 ft from the SE, with periods creeping up to 6 or 7 seconds, and the combined energy climbs to the 40-65 range (still moderate energy). But the wind is relentless – cross-onshore from the S, SSE, or SE, often blowing 12 to 18 mph. That’s gonna keep the surface lumpy and choppy. The setup at Packery Channel is a breakwater, and with these conditions, it’s more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. The crowds are always there, so with no quality surf, it’s not worth the hassle.

The best of a bad bunch looks like the morning of Thursday the 10th of September. The swell is 3 ft from the SE at 6 seconds, with a combined energy of 61 (moderate). The wind is cross-onshore from the SSE at 12 mph, which is still not ideal, but it’s the cleanest we see in the whole window. That’s your only real potential window, but it’s nothing to get excited about.

Overall, this is a blank run for the area. The forecasts can change, but for now, I’d leave the boards in the car and find something else to do.

Rusty

Read more