Publics Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, lads and lasses, Rusty here. Let's have a proper look at what the sea's got in store for us at Publics over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, there’s a bit of a rough patch to start. The first few days are a write-off. The wind is howling from the ENE at 25 mph, creating proper grim, poor conditions. That carries on through Wednesday and Thursday with the swell sitting around 7 to 8ft but the wind is a solid 25 to 28 mph cross-off. It's not surfable for a proper go. It's a tough start.

Come Friday the 4th, the wind eases a touch to 22 mph and we see the swell drop to 4ft, but with a decent 14-second period from the E, which is a glimmer. The wave energy is moderate (1482). It’s still marginal, and the tide will be a factor.

The real spark comes Saturday the 5th. The swell builds to a consistent 8ft from the ENE and the period is a solid 14 seconds. The wind drops to 19 mph. The combined energy kicks right up to 2492, which is moderate but on the strong side. Still marginal, but you can feel it getting better.

Then we get the standout. Monday the 7th of September is the best day of the first week. The swell is a healthy 8ft from the ENE with a cracking 13-second period. The wave energy is strong (3269). But the clincher is the wind – a light, offshore breeze from the NE at just 9 mph. That will groom the face beautifully. The morning session is described as excellent for experienced surfers. At 8ft, it’s a bit much for beginners, but for those who can handle it, it’s clean, lined-up power. The water temperature is about average for the time of year.

Tuesday the 8th is a washout. A 10ft swell from the SW is ruined by a cross-onshore wind from the SSE. That’s lumpy, poor conditions, not worth the paddle.

After that, the swell drops and the wind stays onshore or cross-off. Through the 9th to the 12th we’ve got average to poor conditions. Swell drops to around 5-6ft with a short, weak period of 7-8 seconds. Not much to get excited about.

Then the second week shows some promise. The standout there is Monday the 14th of September. The swell is 7ft from the S, with an 8-second period, but the wind is a light easterly at 6 mph. The wave energy is moderate (1001). It’s described as excellent for experienced surfers. That wind will make it clean and the swell has enough size.

Finally, we see a different flavour towards the tail end. Wednesday the 16th of September has a 4ft swell from the SW with a very long 18-second period. That’s proper groundswell energy, and the combined energy is strong (1477). With the wind being a light 6 mph cross-off, these waves will have plenty of push and shape, but that long period means the sets will be widely spaced. It’ll be best for the reef and point setups, as the beach might look a bit straight. This is a promising but less certain call being so far out.

So, in a nutshell: Monday the 7th is the king of the first week. Monday the 14th is the pick of the second week, and Wednesday the 16th is worth a look for the long-period groundswell.

Rusty.

Read more