Pelican Watch Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, and I’m looking at the next 16 days of surf for us. I won’t sugarcoat it – this is a tough stretch. The swell is basically missing for the first week, and then it’s mainly small, messy junk. We’ve got one spot, Pelican Watch, but it’s not looking like a hero.

The water temperature is sitting at 83°, which is about normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Right from the start, it’s a slow grind. From Saturday the 29th through Tuesday the 1st of September, the swell is tiny, around 1ft to 2ft, coming from the ESE with a short period of 7-8 seconds. The wave energy is weak, and every session is marked as “poor surf conditions.” There’s a glassy moment Saturday morning and Monday morning, but with no swell to work with, it’s a flat, glassy lake.

We finally get a little bump on Wednesday the 2nd morning. The swell picks up to 3ft from the SE, period stretching to 10 seconds, and the energy picks up. The wind is light and cross-offshore from the SW, so it’s clean. This is the first *surfable* wave of the outlook, but it’s very ordinary. The wave energy is still just moderate, and the size is small. It’s not a standout, just a slight tease.

Then things go backwards again. From Thursday the 3rd through to Sunday the 6th, the swell drops back to 2ft and then flatlines to 0.7ft. The energy collapses to nearly nothing. The wind stays clean, but there’s nothing to ride. We’re talking about a solid 4-day gap of barely a ripple.

There’s a flicker on Monday the 7th morning with a 2ft swell from the S, but the period is a short 6 seconds, and the energy is weak. The wind is a moderate offshore from the W, so it’s clean, but the wave quality is still poor. Not a recommendation.

The next real chance comes on Tuesday the 8th morning. Swell is only 1ft, but it’s from the SE with a long 14-second period. The energy is weak. The wind is light cross-offshore from the NNW, so it’s clean. The long period might give it a bit of shape, but it’s tiny. Wednesday the 9th morning has a similar setup: 2ft SE swell at 10 seconds, a bit more energy, and a clean offshore wind from the W. Again, surfable but very ordinary.

Thursday the 10th morning brings a 3ft swell from the S, but the period is a short 7 seconds, so it’s going to be weak and bumpy. The offshore wind (WSW) keeps it clean, but the energy is moderate.

After that, the outlook goes completely off the rails. Friday the 11th through Sunday the 13th sees a mix of short-period windswell, onshore winds, and growing chop. The swell picks up to 5ft by Sunday afternoon, but it’s from the ENE with a pitiful 6-second period, and the wind is onshore. The energy builds, but the conditions are poor and choppy. At that point, with the setup turning into a wind-blown mess, this spot looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Bottom line: There are no good surf options in this 16-day window. The one day that came closest was Wednesday the 2nd morning, but it was still only a very ordinary, small wave. The following week is a write-off. This is a classic flat spell for the area. It tends not to stay this poor for long, so keep the faith, but right now, leave the boards in the car.

Rusty.

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