Pon. Inlet Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the table from Pon. Inlet for the next couple of weeks.

The honest truth is, this stretch of coast is looking pretty flat and messy for the most part. We’ve got a real quiet start, and even when there are pulses of energy, the conditions just aren't lining up for a proper surf. There’s a long gap of small, poor quality waves through the first week where I wouldn’t bother paddling out.

Let’s start with Friday the 11th. We have tiny 1 ft to 2 ft swell from the ESE and SE, with a short period of 8 seconds. The combined energy is weak, only 37 in the morning rising to 102 in the afternoon – that’s just barely moderate. Wind is cross-off from the south, so the surface is clean, but there's just no power to work with. Saturday the 12th is similar, with the morning glassy on 1 ft but by the afternoon a cross-on ESE breeze kicks up at 15 km/h making it choppy. Sunday morning the 13th is glassy, but still only 2 ft of E swell at 9 seconds (energy 40). That’s a pattern – clean conditions with zero wave size.

Monday the 14th gives us a glassy morning at 2 ft as well, again with the same weak E swell. The afternoons are consistently ruined by a 15 km/h cross-on ESE wind. Tuesday the 15th is a write-off too – cross-on wind and tiny swell. Wednesday the 16th is the first time we see any real height, with 3 ft to 4 ft coming from the NE, but it’s short period windswell (5-6 seconds) and the wind is onshore at 20-25 km/h. It’s raw and sloppy, and the reef/jetty setup here isn't going to save it. The energy jumps to 121 that afternoon but it doesn't matter with that wind. The rest of the week into the next continues with onshore or cross-on winds and small, weak swell.

Looking further out, around Monday the 21st through to Wednesday the 23rd, there’s a noticeable increase in energy. We see the combined swell energy hit 231 on the 21st afternoon, 244 on Tuesday the 22nd morning, and 178 on Wednesday the 23rd morning. That’s moderate to strong wave energy (231, 244, 178). The swell height jumps to 5 ft on the 21st afternoon with a NE direction and 8-second period. But again, the wind is a problem. We’re looking at onshore NE winds at 25 km/h on the 21st, and cross-on NNE winds at 25 km/h on the 22nd. Wednesday the 23rd has a fresh cross-on NNW wind at 30 km/h making it lumpy. The swell direction is NE, which isn't matching the optimum SE direction for this spot. It’s just too raw for a good surf.

The one standout, if we’re being honest, is Sunday morning the 13th. It’s not a classic by any stretch, but you get 2 ft of E swell, a 9-second period, calm winds, and a glassy surface. The combined energy is only 40 (weak), so you’d need a foamy or a longboard, but it’s the cleanest window in a week of onshores. For an absolute beginner, this is your safest bet.

After that, the conditions don’t improve enough to recommend anything specific. There’s no true "best day" to get excited about. We just have to wait for a change in the pattern.

Rusty.

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