Right and Left Side Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right and Left Side’s been a tough beat this September—got some size but the wind’s been a right bastard. For the first week and a half, it’s pretty much a write-off. That 1 ft to 6 ft swell from the WNW and W is there, but the wind’s cross, cross-on, or onshore nearly the whole time, and we’re talking 12 to 19 mph winds for much of it. The wave energy’s all over the place, getting up to 486 on Friday the 4th afternoon, but it’s useless—short period wind swell at 8 seconds, just a lumpy, choppy mess. Not a single surfable wave in there, just storm threat and frustration.

Even when the swell drops to 4 ft on the 6th and 7th, the wind’s still junk. The 9th morning shows a little 5 ft WNW swell with an offshore wind, but the guidance gives that a flat zero—poor surf conditions, so don’t get your hopes up.

Then from the 12th into the 13th, things start to shift. Saturday the 12th morning is still marginal with a 5 ft W-NW swell and 8-second period—probably a mushy closeout. But Sunday the 13th morning is where it finally comes together. That’s the standout. You’ve got a clean 3 ft swell from the ENE with a 13-second period, a proper groundswell, and a light offshore wind from the SSE at just 3 mph. That’s glassy, clean surf. The wave energy’s solid at 520, and for a reef break like this, long-period ENE swell will line up nicely. It’s not huge, but it’ll be fun, and the water’s sitting at a warm 86°F, right about normal for the time of year.

After that, it fades. Monday the 14th and Tuesday the 15th mornings keep a similar 3 ft to 3 ft ENE swell with clean-ish winds, but the energy drops and the surf gets marginal again. By Wednesday the 16th it’s back to poor conditions, with the swell dropping to 3 ft and cross-onshore winds from the WSW. The rest of the outlook into the 18th is just more of that—small, messy, and not worth paddling out for.

So the one to circle on the calendar is Sunday the 13th of September, early. That’s your clean window. It’s an inconsistent break—no mistake—but when it’s on like that, it’s a sweet little session. Keep an eye on the tides that morning, and you’ll be smiling.

Rusty

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