Rainbow Rocks Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s cookin’ at Rainbow Rocks for the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a bit of a slow start. The first recommendation doesn’t kick in until Sunday morning, the 6th of September, but even then, it’s nothing to get too excited about. The water temp is sitting at 56°F, which is about average for the time of year – nothing unusual there.

Sunday morning (6 Sep) at Rainbow Rocks (beach and reef) you’re looking at a 3ft swell out of the SSW with a very long period of 15 seconds. That’s proper groundswell, so it’ll have some push, but the wind is cross-onshore from the W at 6 mph, so it’s gonna be a bit bumpy with ripples. The combined energy is moderate at 579. Honestly, the scores are weak – this is more of a “get wet if you’re desperate” kind of session. Crowds are possible here, but with surf like this, it might not be too busy.

Monday the 7th stays pretty flat and messy, but then Tuesday afternoon (8 Sep) we get a small window of cleaner surf. Swell drops to 2ft in the morning, but by the afternoon it picks up to 5ft out of the NW with a short period of 7 seconds. The wind goes cross-offshore from the NW at just 6 mph, so it cleans up nicely. The energy is moderate at 499. It’s not huge, but for a Tuesday arvo session, it’s worth a look – just don’t expect barrels.

Now, if you’re after the standout of this whole forecast, you’ve gotta wait for Saturday the 19th of September. Saturday morning (19 Sep) the swell holds at 7ft from the NW with an 8-second period, and the wind is light cross-offshore from the NNE at 6 mph. That’s clean, consistent, and the combined energy is a strong 823. The forecast says “expect very good surf conditions,” and for once, the stars align. This is the pick of the bunch for competent surfers – solid, clean, and fun. Just be aware that at 7ft, it’s getting a bit spicy for beginners.

Sunday the 20th is a close second. Sunday afternoon (20 Sep) we see the swell drop to 2ft out of the SW with an ultra-long period of 19 seconds. The wind goes glassy – dead calm from the S at 0 mph. That’s as clean as it gets. Combined energy is moderate at 517. It’ll be tiny but perfect for a longboard or a fish if you’ve got the patience for the long lulls between sets. Also “expect very good surf conditions.”

In between those, the second week has some decent afternoon pulses, like Wednesday the 16th and Thursday the 17th, but the wind gets fresh to strong (up to 25 mph), so while the waves might push 7ft to 10ft, it’s gonna be a battle. Those bigger days with strong offshore winds are more for the hardcore crew – and if you’re not careful, the beach-and-reef setup might start looking more like a kite-surfing zone than a paddle session.

Overall, don’t hold your breath for the first week. The real juice comes in the second week, especially Saturday the 19th and Sunday the 20th. Long-range stuff is always a little less certain, but right now it’s looking promising.

Rusty.

Read more