Red Strand (Dirk Bay) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright crew, Rusty here. Let's take a look at what's in store for Red Strand over the next couple of weeks. I'll be honest, it's looking pretty grim for most of it, but let's break it down.

The whole pattern is small, weak, and wind-affected. This is a sheltered little reef, so it doesn't need a huge ocean, but we're just not getting the juice. The first real chance for a wave is a few days away.

Starting Monday, 7th September. We've got a 1.0m swell from the WSW, but a fresh cross-onshore breeze at 30 km/h makes it lumpy and poor. The wave energy is moderate at best (367). The afternoon gets worse: a 1.3m SW swell, but a strong cross-onshore 40 km/h wind messes it up. Not worth paddling out.

Tuesday, 8th September, the swell drops. A 0.6m SW swell in the morning with a short 8-second period. The wind is a cross-offshore from the NW, so it's clean, but there's no wave to surf. The energy is a weak 42. It looks pretty but has no push.

Wednesday, 9th September, is the same. A tiny 0.4m swell with a glassy, calm morning – looks nice, but the energy is only 21. Maybe a longboard could catch a ripple, but I wouldn't bother.

We get a sniff on Thursday, 10th September. The swell bumps up to 1.0m from the SSW, but the wind is a fresh onshore breeze at 30 km/h. The period is a terrible 5 seconds, and the energy is only 50. It's a junky, short-period windswell. Not for us.

Friday, 11th September, is the standout. We have a clean morning with a moderate offshore breeze from the North at 20 km/h. The swell is 0.8m from the SSW. The period is still only 8 seconds, so it's not groundswell, but that offshore wind will make what little we have clean and lined up. The energy is a weak 76, but for Red Strand, that's about as good as it gets in this outlook. If you're desperate for a wave, Friday morning is your only real shot. It's a beginner-friendly spot, so it'll be manageable, and crowds are possible.

The rest of the forecast is a write-off. From Saturday, 12th September, right through to Tuesday, 22nd September, we see nothing but tiny waves (0.1m to 0.7m), onshore winds, and very weak energy. There's a long stretch of absolutely nothing rideable. The swell that shows up around 17th September has a long period of 14-18 seconds, but it's from the South and the swell height is 0.1m. That's a ghost swell – all that energy but no actual wave face. The wind is a strong cross-onshore, making it a complete mess.

So, to wrap it up: don't expect much. The best of a bad bunch is Friday, 11th September morning. After that, it's a long, flat spell. For an exposed beach break, this would be kite-surfing weather, but for paddle surfing at this sheltered reef, it's a waiting game. The water temp is 63°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least you won't freeze while you're sitting there waiting for nothing.

Rusty.

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