Raffs Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s on the cards for your local stretch.

The swell window is about to get hammered, but it’s not all good news. The next week or so is going to be a mixed bag of solid, sometimes massive, swell with some tricky wind. The real standout sessions are tucked away a bit further into the forecast, so patience is key.

Let’s start with Raffs Beach. Water temp is sitting at 56°F, which is about normal for this time of year, nothing to write home about. The first real chance of anything decent pops up on Saturday the 12th of September. The morning has clean conditions with a light NW cross-offshore breeze. The swell is 7 ft from the SW, with a long 15-second period, giving the water some serious grunt – the combined energy is a hefty 2231. This is solid groundswell. It’s a fair bit of size, so it’s pushing into that “for experienced surfers” territory, but with that offshore tickle, it’ll be clean. The afternoon stays clean, dropping slightly to 6 ft, still from the SW, with a 15-second period, and a light NNE cross-off. The energy drops a touch to 1601, but it’s still a good session. This Saturday is the standout for the first week. Keep in mind that this spot is a beginner-friendly break, but when it’s 6 ft+ and clean offshore, it gets a bit more serious.

Sunday the 13th of September holds up nicely. The morning brings a moderate 12 mph offshore wind from the N, grooming a 5 ft SW swell. Period is a long 14 seconds. The energy is moderate at 825, but those offshore lines will make it look better than the numbers suggest. The afternoon stays offshore, with a 5 ft swell. It’s not the biggest, but the wind is clean and it’s a good, surfable day.

The following week gets interesting. Monday the 14th of September morning is small but clean, with 4 ft from the SW and a gentle offshore breeze. The energy is weak at 380, so it’s a longboard or a funboard day. The afternoon turns ugly with onshore wind, so don’t bother.

Then we get a huge spike. Tuesday the 15th of September morning sees a massive 12 ft SW swell, with a short, 11-second period, and a cross-offshore wind. The energy is a staggering 2754. That’s way too big for this break, and it’s messy. The afternoon is 13 ft with onshore wind – a total cleanup. This is kite-surfing territory, not paddle surfing. The high energy (3970) and huge size will be a spectacle, but don’t try to paddle out.

The forecast for the weekend of the 20th of September looks promising. Saturday the 19th looks small and average, but Sunday the 20th of September is another true standout. The morning has a gentle offshore breeze from the N, with a 5 ft SW swell and a 16-second period. The combined energy is 1795, which is moderate but the long period makes it punchy. The afternoon is even better: 6 ft, a 19-second period (very long period groundswell), and a gentle offshore wind. The energy is 2350. This is a classic, clean, long-period groundswell. It’ll be beautiful at a point or reef, but at a beach break, that long period can make it close out a bit. Still, with the offshore wind, it’s the best-looking session of the entire 16 days.

So, to boil it down: Saturday the 12th of September is your first solid, clean day. Sunday the 20th of September is the best on offer – a long-period groundswell with perfect offshore winds. The rest of the time, there’s a lot of swell, but it’s either too big, too windy, or too small. Stay patient.

Rusty.

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