North Stradbroke - Pt Lookout Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you: the next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for a proper paddle. The swell is small, the periods are short, and the wind’s mostly going to be working against us. There’s a real gap of flatness and junk from now until the end of the month. We’re looking at a solid stretch of days where you’re better off doing anything else but surfing. The energy in the water is weak, with combined swell energy values mostly in the double digits—like 72 on the 22nd, 50 on the 27th, and down to 35 by the 1st. The water temp is 69°, which is about normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The first real glimmer of hope doesn’t show up until the morning of Wednesday the 2nd of September. That’s a long way off, and it’s a promise, not a guarantee. The swell jumps to 6ft from the SSE with a 9-second period, and the energy reads a strong 728. That’s a proper pulse of energy finally pushing in. It’s a cross-off breeze, clean, but it’s a strong breeze at 25 mph, so it’ll be blown out and hard to paddle into. This is more for the experienced crew at North Stradbroke - Pt Lookout (Point Lookout). The direction is SSE, which is in the ballpark of the optimum E direction, but the size and wind will make it a battle. Still, it’s the only real surfable option in the whole window, and it’s the standout, even if it’s a rough one.

Before that, don’t get your hopes up. There’s a tiny bump on the 22nd with 3ft and a glassy morning, but it’s weak and ordinary. The swell is small, and the energy is pitiful at 72. The days after that just fade away into knee-high slop with increasing onshore winds. By the 29th and 30th, we’ve got onshore winds at 19 mph and swell down to 2ft—that’s not surfing, that’s just a bumpy lake.

So, bottom line: the next two weeks are a write-off. The surf is small, the winds are mostly wrong, and the consistency is poor. This kind of blank run does happen here sometimes. But that pulse on the 2nd is our one shot. It’s far out, so treat it as promising but not certain. If you’re keen, mark that Wednesday morning on the calendar and hope the wind eases. It’s the only thing that’ll get your heart rate up.

Righto, keep an eye on it, but don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

Read more