Richardsons Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer.

Honestly, the next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag for Richardsons. There’s some solid swell hanging around, but the wind and tide are going to be a major factor. Let’s break it down.

We’re starting off Friday, September 4th with a chunky 7ft easterly swell, period at 14 seconds – that’s a long period groundswell. The wave energy is strong (1670). The problem is it’s coming with onshore wind and rain showers. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so nothing funky there. The quality is marginal, but it’s not totally hopeless. The best bet in the early part is going to be Saturday, September 5th. The swell builds a touch to 8ft from the ENE, still a long 13-14 second period, and the wind swings light and offshore from the NE. That’s clean. It’s still a bit sloppy for a beginner at that size, but a strong intermediate will get some good ones. Energy is very high (1774). The reef is exposed to the swell, and with that long period, it should really stand up and offer some nice lines. Crowds are possible here, so get in early.

Sunday the 6th sees the wind shift to a light cross-onshore, and the size drops to 7ft. Still rideable, but not as clean. By Monday the 7th, the wind gets stronger from the SE, and the surf gets chopped up. The afternoon of the 7th is actually interesting – the wind goes cross-offshore (19 mph), which is clean, but the swell is still 7ft and the period is down to 12 seconds. The energy is still moderate (1192). It’s a better option for the more experienced crew.

Now, we hit a bit of a flat spell. Tuesday the 8th drops to 5ft, and by Wednesday the 9th it’s down to 3ft with poor conditions. The energy is weak. This bad run goes on for a few days – through Thursday the 10th and into Friday the 11th the swell creeps back up to 5ft, but the light cross-onshore wind keeps it from being a standout. The energy is still moderate (680). It’s just not doing much.

The next sniff of real action is Saturday, September 12th. The swell jumps back to 7ft from the ENE, but the period is a short 8-9 seconds, and the wind is a gentle cross-onshore. It’s going to be a bit junky and choppy. The energy is moderate (598). Not a great day for the paddle crew; honestly, that setup with the onshore wind and short period looks more fun for a kite surfer than a traditional surfer.

We then drop into another poor run. Sunday the 13th through Wednesday the 16th sees swell holding around 7ft to 8ft, but it’s all onshore wind and rain. The energy climbs back up to moderate (1097 on the 14th), but it’s a washing machine. This is a big gap with no good surf. By Thursday the 17th, the swell fades to 3ft with weak energy (151). The last day in the window, Saturday the 19th, is a weak 4ft, 8-second period, with light wind but not enough energy to get excited about.

The standout from this whole run is definitely Saturday, September 5th. That clean offshore wind, solid 8ft groundswell, and high energy (1774) at this reef break is the best of a tricky period. The long period will make the waves a bit fat and straight on a beach break, but at a reef it should be nice and walled. The other date to keep an eye on is the afternoon of Monday the 7th, with the cross-offshore wind cleaning up a 7ft swell. It’s not as perfect, but it’s a solid session.

Rusty.

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