Pelican Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, it’s Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the line for our local stretch.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a bit of a slow start, but the good news is that the water is sitting at a pretty normal 64°F for this time of year, so no wetsuit drama there.

The first real chance to get wet kicks off on Sunday, August 30th at Pelican Beach. It’s not gonna be a world-beater, but the morning is looking glassy with a light N wind and a clean 3ft S swell. The energy is on the weaker side (250), so you’ll be working for your rides, but it’ll be a fun, easy paddle. Expect a few other folks out as crowds are often a thing here.

Monday, August 31st continues the trend with a smaller 2ft S swell, but the real story is the period—16 seconds! That’s a proper long-period groundswell. The morning is clean with a light NE cross-off. This long period will make the waves a bit more walled up, but for a beach break, it’ll still offer some decent lines. The afternoon gets blown out by a 12 mph NE wind, so get it early.

The standout window of this first week is shaping up for Tuesday, September 1st. We’ve got a 3ft S swell with a solid 11-second period, and the wind is offshore from the N all day, with the afternoon offering a clean 12 mph offshore breeze. The energy is moderate (267) and the conditions will be clean. This is the best clean surf of the early forecast.

Wednesday, September 2nd through Friday, September 4th sees the swell drop off significantly, with heights around 1ft to 2ft. The energy is weak (74 to 142), and while the winds are mostly cross-offshore, these are really just small, ordinary days for a long session on a longboard.

Now, hold onto your board, because things get interesting. Sunday, September 6th sees a massive jump, but it’s a warning. The afternoon brings a 13ft S swell with a staggering energy of 2766. That is a serious amount of moving water. The wind is cross-onshore and choppy, and the report says it’s too big for this break. This is a definite “stay on the beach and watch” scenario, or maybe a kite session if that’s your thing.

Monday, September 7th is the real deal for experienced surfers only. The morning delivers an 8ft SSE swell with a strong energy of 1310. The wind is a clean cross-off from the NW, making for excellent, powerful conditions. This is easily the best swell of the entire outlook, but it’s for experts only—that’s over 8ft, and it’s pushing hard. After that, the swell backs off with a messy, windy pattern setting in for the rest of the second week.

From Tuesday, September 8th onward, the picture gets messy. The wind is onshore or cross-onshore for most of the week, with a mix of S and SE swells that are either too small, too short-period, or blown out. Saturday, September 13th sees a 6ft E swell, but it’s cross-shore and choppy. The very end of the run, Monday, September 14th, shows a clean 4ft ENE swell with a light cross-off breeze, which is a small, clean option to close out the forecast.

So, bottom line: grab the early mornings on Sunday and Monday, and lock in Tuesday for the best clean waves of the first week. The 7th of September is the big event for the crew who can handle it, but it’s a beast. After that, the second week is a bit of a struggle with wind and raw conditions.

Stay safe out there.

Rusty.

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