Pelican Watch Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Pelican Watch over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the first week and a half is a real struggle. We’re looking at a long stretch of tiny, weak waves and mostly poor conditions, so don’t bother paddling out until we get into the second week. The wait is a long one, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

From Wednesday the 9th of September right through to the 18th, it’s pretty much a write-off. Swell is barely a whisper, mostly under 3 ft, and the energy is weak (combined energy values barely cracking 50). The only small mercy is that the wind often swings cross-offshore or goes glassy, keeping the water clean, but there’s just not enough push to get a decent ride. Even the best of this period, like Sunday the 13th morning with a 2 ft swell from the SE and a period of 10 seconds, the combined energy is only 53, and the call is just “surfable but very ordinary.” Not worth getting wet for.

Now, things start to get interesting when we hit the 19th of September. Saturday morning brings a bit of a pulse from the NE, but it’s short period (5 seconds) and only 3 ft, so it’s pretty messy. It’s the Saturday afternoon that gets the heart rate up a little – a jump to 6 ft from the ENE, swinging the combined energy up to 334 (moderate). The wind is cross-offshore, so it’ll be clean, but the report flags it as marginal. The swell is getting there, but it’s not quite lining up.

The real standout, the one you’ve been waiting for, is Monday the 22nd of September. Tuesday morning specifically. We’ve got a solid 7 ft of swell firing from the east, with a period of 8 seconds and the combined energy clocking in at 820 (strong). The wind is a light cross-offshore breeze from the NNW, which is gonna keep those waves looking clean. The forecast is calling for “expect very good surf conditions.” This is the pick of the outlook. It’s a bit of a powerful swell at 7 ft, so it’s getting into that territory where beginners might want to sit this one out, but for the rest of us, it’s game on. Just keep in mind that with the east swell direction, the optimum for Pelican Watch is from the SE, so there might be a bit of an angle to work with, but it’s still the best energy we’ve seen.

The water temp is sitting at a warm 82°F, which is a touch above average (anomaly of +0.7°F), but nothing too wild for this time of year. It’s comfortable.

So, to sum it up: the first 9 days are a bust. Save your energy. The Sunday the 22nd of September is the clear winner, with Tuesday morning offering the best chance at some proper waves. Keep an eye on it, but my gut says that’s the one to mark on the calendar.

Stay salty,
Rusty

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