Publics Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s break down what’s happening at Publics for the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, but there are a couple of windows worth paddling for.

Starting off, we’ve got small, rideable swell from the SW on Tuesday and Wednesday, around 2 ft to 3 ft, with a nice long period of 18-19 seconds – that’s real groundswell. The cross-off wind from the ENE (12-16 mph) keeps it clean, with moderate combined swell energy (485-672). Water temp is about normal for the season, no big anomaly.

Then things get chunky from Thursday, 17 September, into the weekend. Swell jumps to 7 ft to 7 ft, but it’s short-period ENE windswell (7-9 seconds) with fresh cross-off breezes. Energy climbs into the strong range (850-1193), but the quality is poor. Over 7 ft, this is expert territory, and with that short period, it’s going to be a messy, bumpy ride. Honestly, with that wind, this looks more like a kiteboarding session than a surf.

We hit a dry spell from Sunday, 20 September, through Tuesday, 22 September. Swell holds around 6 ft to 7 ft, but it’s all short-period junk with strong cross-off winds (25-28 mph). Energy is still moderate to strong, but the surf quality is poor. About three days of nothing worth chasing.

Now, the one to circle on your calendar: Wednesday, 23 September. A solid pulse of E swell hits 7 ft to 7 ft, with the period stretching to 9-10 seconds. Combined energy spikes to 1510 – that’s strong. Wind is cross-off from the ENE at 22-25 mph, so it’ll be clean but windy. This one’s only for experienced surfers at that size. The swell direction is a bit east of the ideal SSE, but with that much power, it could still offer some heavy, fast waves. Promising, but keep it in perspective that far out.

After that, we fade back to small, inconsistent SSW groundswell from Friday, 25 September, into the end of the month. Most days see 2 ft to 3 ft with 15-16 second periods, with cross-off winds. The real gem is Monday, 28 September afternoon, when we get a brief offshore wind from the NE. Swell is tiny at 2 ft from the SSW, but with an 18-second period and light offshore breeze, that’s clean, glassy fun for the longboard. Energy is moderate (722). Another standout is Wednesday, 30 September morning – offshore NNE wind at just 9 mph, with 2 ft SSW swell and a 15-second period. Energy is lower (293), but it’s going to be dead calm. For small-wave days, that’s the best you’ll get.

So, the best bets: the big E swell on 23 September for the experts, and those two tiny offshore windows on 28 and 30 September for the longboard crew. Crowds are always a guarantee at Publics, so expect company.

Rusty.

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