Redhead Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. I’ve gotta be straight with you—this outlook for Redhead is a tough one. We’ve got a long, slow grind ahead with barely a ripple worth paddling for, and the real action doesn’t kick in until the very end of the forecast. The first real glimmer of hope arrives on the morning of Saturday the 27th of September, and that’s your standout window. Before that, it’s mostly poor surf and blown-out conditions, with fleeting moments of clean water but zero wave energy.

Starting from now, Saturday the 12th, through to Friday the 26th, it’s a desert. You’re looking at a solid two-week stretch where nearly every session is a no-go. The odd morning like Monday the 14th has clean conditions with light north winds, but the swell is barely a ripple at 0.7 ft from the east with a period of 13 seconds. The combined energy is weak as—only 23. There’s nothing to ride. Wednesday morning the 16th is a write-off with strong SSW winds at 25 mph and a tiny 0.3 ft east swell. Even the clear, offshore mornings, like Friday the 18th, have zero swell. The closest we get to anything surfable is the morning of Saturday the 19th, with a 3 ft ESE swell, 10-second period, and moderate combined energy of 127. The wind is light NW offshore at 3 mph, so conditions are clean. But the surfable call is “very ordinary,” scoring just 1 out of 10. It’s ankle-biting, inconsistent, and nothing to get excited about.

Then it’s back to tiny junk—Sunday the 20th to Saturday the 26th has heights under 3 ft, short periods, and messy or onshore winds. The energy stays in the single digits or low teens. For a beginner-friendly reef like Redhead, this is a blank run.

Finally, bam—the morning of Sunday the 27th of September delivers. We’ve got 5 ft of swell from the southeast, period of 8 seconds, and a solid combined energy of 375. The wind is light NNE at 6 mph, blowing cross-offshore, and the conditions are clean. The score is a 2 out of 10, but given the drought, this is the best on offer. The 5 ft height is manageable for beginners, though the short 8-second period means the waves won’t have much punch or shape—it’ll be a bit chop-prone and lumpy. Still, with glassy offshore-ish wind, it’s ridable. Larger swell (over 5 ft) can get a bit much for beginners, so keep that in mind. The crowd situation at Redhead is “sometimes” busy, so you might have company, but after two weeks of nothing, it’ll be worth it.

Water temperature is about average for the time of year here, no major anomaly to report at Redhead.

So, bottom line: wait it out until Sunday the 27th. That’s your only real chance. Everything before that is a washout. For a spot that’s fairly consistent, this run is unusual—forecasts can change, so keep an eye on it, but right now, patience is the name of the game.

Rusty.

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