Pitstops Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let's have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks, starting with the one spot that’s got our attention.

We’re looking at Pitstops, a reef break that’s very consistent and works best with a south-west swell. For the time of year, the water temperature is pretty much spot on average, so no surprises there.

The first few days are a bit of a slow burner. Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th are showing clean, cross-off breezes and clean waves in the 3ft to 3ft range, with moderate combined swell energy (396 to 471). It’s not going to blow your socks off, but it’s surfable and tidy for a beginner-friendly wave.

Saturday the 5th and Sunday the 6th see a bit more size pushing in, around 3ft, but the wind picks up into the moderate breeze range and the forecast flags “marginal” conditions. The combined energy climbs though, hitting 949 to 1253, so there’s plenty of push, but the wind is making things a bit messy.

Here’s where it gets interesting. Tuesday the 8th and Wednesday the 9th are the real standouts. Tuesday morning kicks off with a light breeze, clean conditions, and a 3ft swell from the south with a very long period of 19 seconds – that’s proper groundswell energy. The combined energy is sitting at 953, and the forecast is calling for “very good surf conditions.” Tuesday afternoon only gets better with a 4ft south swell, 18-second period, and a near-calm 5 km/h breeze, bumping the energy to 1199. Wednesday holds that same quality: 4ft to 5ft south-southeast swell, 15-second period, and light winds. This is the best window of the whole run. That long period stuff will be peeling nicely down the reef, and with the crowd profile listed as “often”, expect a few others to have the same idea.

Thursday the 10th is a gem too, with glassy conditions in the morning and a 3ft south-southwest swell, 16-second period, and combined energy of 860. It’s clean, it’s glassy, and it’s a cracker. The weekend of the 13th and 14th also looks very promising, with glassy mornings and a consistent 3ft to 4ft swell, though the Monday afternoon does get a touch of cross-onshore breeze that might knock the shine off.

From the 15th onwards, things get a bit more inconsistent. There are still pockets of glassy, clean surf around the 4ft mark, but the wind gets a bit fluky and the overall quality dips. The 16th and 17th have some poor to marginal windows, with stronger winds spoiling the surface.

So, to sum it up: don’t hold your breath for the first few days. The real magic happens from Tuesday the 8th through to Sunday the 14th, with Tuesday and Wednesday the 8th and 9th being the absolute pick of the bunch. That’s when you want to be in the water at Pitstops.

Rusty.

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