Publics Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty, and I’ve been watching the charts for this stretch. Alright, let’s break it down.

We start off with a messy run. The surf kicks in on Monday, September 7th, at Publics, a beach and reef spot that’s always packed, so expect a crowd. The water’s at 81°, which is right on average for this time of year – nothing special. Monday morning brings 5ft of swell from the east, with a 12-second period, but the wind is cross-off from the east at 16 mph, and there’s a risk of thunderstorms. The combined energy is strong at 1711, so there’s plenty of power, but the conditions are marginal with questionable tide. You might snag a wave or two.

Monday afternoon gets uglier. The swell jumps to 7ft from the southwest, period 14 seconds – that’s a proper groundswell – but the wind turns cross-shore at 19 mph, and the energy hits a massive 3275. It’s lumpy, choppy, and honestly, it’s more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddling session. Not good.

Tuesday, September 8th, is a total loss. Onshore winds all day, 19 mph in the morning, 12 mph in the afternoon, with a 8ft SSW swell that’s just blown out. Score zero. Skip it.

We finally get a window on Wednesday, September 9th. The morning is clean with a light breeze from the east at 6 mph, cross-off, and the swell drops to 3ft from the SSW, period 14 seconds. The energy is moderate at 631, and the wave comment says “expect very good surf conditions.” That’s the best we’ve seen. It’s small but clean, and the long period means it’ll have shape. The afternoon stays similar, 3ft, 13-second period, energy 588. If you’re a beginner, those 3ft waves are fine, but the long period might make it a bit tricky. Still, it’s the standout of the first week.

Then we hit a flat spell. From Thursday, September 10th, through to Sunday, September 13th, the sizes drop right off – 1ft, 0.7ft, nothing doing. The energy falls as low as 93 on Sunday afternoon. That’s a solid four-day gap with no real surf. The 14th and 15th stay marginal, with tiny 2ft to 2ft swells from the southwest, long periods over 20 seconds, but you’re just scratching for something.

Then, hold on tight. From Thursday, September 17th, we get a pulse. The swell jumps to 8ft from the ENE, period a short 8 seconds, with cross-off winds at 25 mph. The energy is over 1000 (1064). That’s a strong, chunky swell. It’s not clean, but it’s powerful. This continues through Friday, September 18th, and Saturday, September 19th, with 8ft from the ENE, period still 8 seconds, and winds gusting 25 to 28 mph. The energy peaks at 1269. Now, this is heavy – over 8ft is expert territory. The short period means it’ll be a bit jumbled at the beach, but Publics is a reef too, so it might hold. The wind is cross-off, so it’s not fully blown out, but it’s raw. If you’re experienced, Saturday, September 19th morning is your best bet in this second week – it’s the biggest, most consistent pulse.

By Sunday, September 20th, it starts to fade, dropping to 8ft, then 7ft, and the energy drops off. The rest of the run into the 22nd is marginal, 5ft to 5ft, with short periods and cross-off winds. Nothing to get excited about.

Overall, the standout is Wednesday, September 9th – small but clean, with light winds and a decent long-period swell. That’s the one for the early week. For the brave, the big swell from the 17th to the 19th is a raw, powerful session, but it’s only for experts. If you’re a beginner, wait for the clean small stuff on the 9th.

Rusty.

Read more