Red Strand (Dirk Bay) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it. I’ve looked at the charts for this stretch, and I gotta be honest with you – it’s a grim outlook for the next couple of weeks. The only break in the game here is Red Strand (Dirk Bay), and it’s a sheltered reef that’s beginner-friendly and fairly consistent, but we’re looking at a real flat spell. The water temp is sitting at 63°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but you won’t be feeling it on a board because there’s barely a wave to be had.

Right from the start on Sunday the 6th, it’s a write-off. We’ve got a fresh southerly breeze at 19 mph and messy, poor surf. There’s some weak energy in the water (189) but the swell is short-period and onshore – total junk. That carries through Monday and Tuesday, with the swell dropping away fast. By Tuesday morning the energy is just 43, and although the wind goes cross-off and it cleans up, the waves are only 1 ft. It’s pretty much flat.

Wednesday the 9th looks clean in the morning with a gentle breeze, but again, 1 ft and no power. There’s a tiny bump of energy (315) early Monday morning the 7th with a 13-second period from the WSW and a 3 ft swell, but the cross-onshore wind at 19 mph makes it a lumpy mess. That’s the best we get in the first week and it’s still poor.

The second week doesn’t offer any hope either. From the 12th right through to the 21st of September, it’s a long, flat, and mostly choppy run. A few days see a longer period (12 to 16 seconds) but the swell heights are barely a ripple – 0.7 ft to 1 ft. The wind is often strong and onshore, and the energy readings are tiny. On the 15th we get a near gale warning with 34 mph winds, and that’s just for the kites, not the surfers.

The only slight interest is on Friday the 18th and Saturday the 19th. On Friday morning we get a clean 3 ft swell from the SSW with 5-second period, and cross-off winds from the WNW at 22 mph. The energy is weak (59), but the conditions are clean. Still, it’s a short-period dribbler. Then on Saturday the 19th morning we see a tiny 0.7 ft swell, but with a very long period of 16 seconds and a gentle cross-off breeze. It’s clean but incredibly small. That long-period groundswell might wrap into the reef and offer something, but with that size, you’re barely floating.

Bottom line: there’s nothing worth paddling out for in this whole 16-day stretch. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing on a few of those windier days, but for a surfer, it’s a total blank run. For this area, that’s not unusual – forecasts can change, but right now, leave the board at home.

Rusty.

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