Raffs Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, let's have a proper look at the upcoming conditions for our patch.

Straight off the bat, we've got a week and a half of decent groundswell lining up, mostly from the south-west. It's not all clean sailing though; the first few days are going to be a write-off for clean waves, with strong onshore winds and some seriously oversized swell for the spot. We're going to have to be patient for the good stuff.

Tuesday the 8th kicks off with some iffy conditions. The morning has a 4 ft SW groundswell but it's crossed-up with a light westerly, and the water's sitting at a pretty average 56°F, nothing unusual for early September. The afternoon gets bumpy as the wind swings onshore and the swell jumps. We'll be sitting this one out.

Wednesday the 9th is a total no-go. The swell pumps up to 10 ft and then 15 ft in the arvo, but it's blowing a solid 30 km/h from the SSW, right on the nose. The wave energy is absolutely thumping at 6944 in the morning, and a massive 19469 by the arvo, but it's a full-on washing machine for paddle surfing – honestly, it's kite-surfing territory if anything.

Thursday the 10th is still messy and way too big for the beach break at over 8 ft, so that's only for the hardcore crew if anyone's mad enough.

Now, here's where it gets interesting. Friday the 11th of September is our first real standout. The morning session is absolute gold. We've got a clean 7 ft SW groundswell with a 14-second period, and the wind drops to an absolute glass-off from the WSW. The wave energy is solid at 1580, and with those light winds, Raffs Beach should be a picture. This swell is a long-period groundswell, and while it might section off a bit on the bank, when it lines up, the take-off will be a dream for experienced surfers.

Saturday the 12th keeps the quality high. Morning sees a light offshore from the NNE, wrapping that 7 ft SW groundswell (15-second period) into nice clean lines. The afternoon holds up with a cross-off breeze, and the sets stay around 6 ft. Both sessions are clean, and the energy is perfect.

Sunday the 13th is still very good, with a moderate offshore all day. The swell drops a touch to 4 ft-5 ft, but it's clean and the energy's still got plenty of push (962 in the morning). The crowd situation here can be 'sometimes' busy, but on a clean, offshore day like this, it'll be worth jostling for a few.

The first week of September finishes strong, but the start of the second week drops off. Monday the 14th is a flop with small, weak swell. Tuesday the 15th is a return to junk with onshore wind and a short, junky 6 ft swell.

But hold tight, because Wednesday the 16th of September is another absolute ripper. The morning is glassy again, a dead-calm 5 km/h from the south, with a solid 6 ft SW groundswell (13-second period). It's got a combined energy of 1752, and it's going to be a clean, powerful morning. This is the other true standout on the calendar.

The rest of the second week is a mixed bag of clean offshore sessions and some lumpy afternoons. Thursday the 17th, Friday the 18th, and even Saturday the 19th offer nice clean morning surfs with good offshores and swell around the 5 ft to 6 ft mark. The Saturday afternoon session on the 19th even has gentle offshore wind, keeping the lines tidy. The crowd might pop up, but it's worth it.

Sunday the 20th gets messy in the arvo, and Monday the 21st is tricky.

The very end of the outlook, from Tuesday the 22nd to Wednesday the 23rd of September, brings some more clean offshores with 5 ft to 6 ft SW groundswell, plenty of energy, and excellent conditions for experienced surfers. It's a long-range look, so don't book your flights yet, but it's promising.

So, to wrap it up: the best on offer is a tie between the glassy morning of Friday the 11th of September and the glassy morning of Wednesday the 16th of September. Both have clean 7-ish ft groundswell, perfect winds, and that feeling you can't buy. Everything else is good, but those two sessions are the ones to circle on the calendar.

Rusty.

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