North Stradbroke - Pt Lookout Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, this is Rusty. Look, I’ll be straight with you – the next week or so is pretty grim for a paddle. We’ve got a long stretch of tiny, weak swell and junk wind, so you’re better off finding something else to do. The models are pointing to a proper pulse of energy arriving around the second week of September, but it’s a mixed bag for the crew at Point Lookout.

Right now, from Monday the 31st of August through to Wednesday the 9th of September, it’s a real struggle. We’re talking waist-high dribble at best, mostly 1 ft to 3 ft, and the combined energy is weak – sitting between 38 and 101 (units). The wind is all over the shop, mostly onshore or cross-onshore, and the swell period is short, around 5 to 10 seconds. There’s a glassy moment on Friday the 4th of September morning, but the swell is still only 1 ft, so it’s barely breaking. It’s a flat spell, plain and simple.

Then things start to heat up. On Wednesday the 9th of September afternoon, we finally get some grunt. A solid 8 ft SSE swell rolls in with a period of 10 seconds, pushing the combined energy to 1297 (units) – that’s strong. The wind is a gentle cross-offshore breeze, so the waves will be clean. This is the first real standout, but it’s big: 8 ft is expert territory, so only the experienced crew should be looking at this. The swell direction is SSE, which is a bit off the optimum E for Point Lookout, but it’s still a point break, so it’ll handle it.

The 10th of September is pumping, but messy. We’ve got a 12 ft SE swell in the morning, with energy cranking up to 2037 (units) – very strong. The wind is fresh cross-offshore, so it’s clean, but the tide and conditions might be tricky. It’s big, expert-only stuff. The following days, from the 11th to the 12th, see the swell dropping but still sizeable, around 8 ft to 10 ft, with cross-offshore winds. The energy stays high, between 786 and 1342 (units). Still, these are big, powerful waves – not for the faint-hearted.

The best window looks like Sunday the 13th of September morning. The swell drops to a more manageable 7 ft from the ESE with a 10-second period, and the combined energy is a solid 1548 (units). The wind is light offshore, glassy, so the surf will be clean and well-shaped. This is the standout session for experienced surfers – the swell direction is a bit east of the optimum, but the point will handle it. After that, the swell fades again through the 14th and 15th, with dropping energy and cross-shore winds.

Water temps are about average for the time of year, nothing unusual. The point break here is consistent, but crowds can happen sometimes, so keep that in mind.

Rusty.

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