Rapid Creek - Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you: the next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for a proper surf at Rapid Creek. There’s just nothing on the table that’s going to get you excited. We’ve got a long stretch of tiny, weak swell and mostly average to messy winds. You might want to find another hobby for a bit.

This is one of those extended flat spells where the ocean looks more like a lake than a lineup. We’re looking at over a week of nothing but dribble. The first real sign of any life doesn’t show up until the very end of the period, and even then, it’s not going to be anything to write home about.

Starting Monday, September 14th, the waves are a pathetic `0.3ft` from the west with a long period of 17 seconds. It sounds fancy, but the energy is weak, a paltry `6` on the scale. There’s a moderate cross-onshore breeze making it choppy. Not a single wave worth paddling for. This pattern keeps up through the week. Mornings are clean, with some offshore wind, but the swell is simply not there. The afternoons get chopped up by a cross-shore breeze. It’s frustrating.

The entire first week is a write-off. We see this same story day after day: `0.3ft` of west swell, maybe an 8-second period at best, and winds that are either making it messy or the swell is just non-existent. By September 19th and 20th, there’s literally no swell reading at all, just a flat ocean and fresh breeze. When we do get energy, it’s still weak, like the `8` we see on the 20th.

Heading into the second week, things don’t improve. It’s the same story. We’re getting `0.3ft` waves and not enough push. Wind is still a factor. We’re talking about a situation where kite surfing is probably a far more interesting prospect than paddle surfing on this beach. The consistency is poor, the waves are small, and the wind is often cross-shore. It’s a blank run, which isn’t abnormal for this place.

There is a tiny blip right at the end. On Monday, September 28th, the afternoon shows a pulse of northeast swell, a `2.3ft` wave with a short 4-second period. The energy is still weak (`17`), but the wind is light and clean. It’s not going to be good, but it’s more than we’ve seen all fortnight. Then on the morning of the 29th, there’s a fresh offshore breeze but no swell at all to speak of. It just taunts you.

So, there you have it. A long, flat, and frustrating outlook. The water temp is sitting around `82.8°`, which is about normal for the time of year. But with no swell, it’s just a warm bath. Keep the board in the car, but maybe don’t bother getting out of it. The long-range stuff is promising but less certain, and we need a serious change in the weather pattern to get anything going. This is one to sit out.

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