Rainbow Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here, your local surf reporter. Let's have a look at what's in store for Rainbow Bay over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, it's a bit of a tough start. The first few days are pretty flat and messy, so you're best off giving the water a miss until we get a proper pulse. Things start to look up from Monday the 7th.

We get a bit of a kick on Monday morning, with a 5ft swell from the SSE and a short period around 8 seconds. The wind is offshore from the SSE, so the bay will be clean. The combined energy is moderate (341). It's not huge, but it's a start. The real standout of the week is Wednesday morning, the 9th. We've got a solid 6ft SSE swell, period stretching to 9 seconds, and light cross-offshore winds from the SE. The water is a very average 70°, which is about normal for this time of year. The combined energy is strong (511), and the bay will be clean. This is the one to aim for.

Thursday the 10th sees the swell bump up to 7ft in the morning, but it's a bit of a beast with a fresh 19 mph offshore wind, making it challenging. The afternoon gets bigger, hitting 10ft, which is only for the experienced crew. Friday the 11th is a solid option, with 7ft to 7ft SSE swell and moderate offshore winds keeping things clean. The energy is still strong.

After that, the weekend of the 12th and 13th drops off in size, with 4ft and 3ft swells, but the winds are cross-offshore, so it'll be clean but small. Not a standout.

Then we hit a dry spell. From Monday the 14th through to the start of the second week, the conditions turn poor. The wind goes onshore or cross-onshore, and the swell is either small or from the wrong direction. There's a bit of a pulse on the 16th and 17th, but the wind is howling onshore, making it a mess. This period is a write-off for surfing.

Now, looking further ahead to the second week, there's a promising but less certain option. On Friday the 18th of September, we see a very long period groundswell (16 seconds) from the SE, pushing 7ft. The combined energy is massive (2939). This is a serious, powerful swell. The catch is the wind is light cross-onshore in the morning. For a point break like Rainbow Bay, this long-period swell will wrap in nicely and offer some great, well-shaped waves. It's a standout for the experts, but the long period means the sets will be spaced out. The following Saturday and Sunday, the 19th and 20th, clean up nicely with stiff offshore winds and a 3ft to 6ft SSE swell, making for a fun, clean finish to the outlook.

Alright, so to wrap it up: this week, get into the water on Wednesday morning the 9th for the best of the first run. The second week's standout is a big one, with that massive, long-period swell on Friday the 18th of September, but it's one for the experienced crew. Keep an eye on the forecast for that one.

Rusty out.

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