Roads End Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s dig into this 16-day stretch for our local zone. We’re looking at a mixed bag, with the real standout action coming later in the period, but patience will pay off for those who can wait.

Right off the bat, we’ve got some swell on the table starting Sunday, the 30th of August. Roads End is a beach and reef setup, exposed and best with a W swell. But early on, it’s grim. The water’s sitting at 55°F which is a hefty 5°F colder than normal – that's a notable chill for this time of year, so you’ll want a thick suit. The first few days are a write-off. We have a small, long-period SW groundswell around 2ft at 16 seconds on Sunday the 30th, but with a cross wind from the N at 12 mph, it’s a lumpy mess. Low energy too, with combined swell energy of 441 (moderate). Monday the 31st is a bit bigger with a NW shift to 4ft (period 10 seconds) but onshore winds again spoil it. The whole first week is mostly onshore or cross-shore slop with poor to marginal conditions. Wednesday the 2nd of September gets ugly with a big stormy 13ft swell from the SSW (strong energy at 2544) but heavy rain and strong 16 mph onshore winds make it a full-on mess – strictly for the desperate, and even then, it’s more of a kite session than a paddle.

Now, Friday the 4th of September morning is our first glimmer of hope. The swell settles to a clean 6ft from the WNW (period 10 seconds) with that sweet glassy condition and a whisper of wind from the WSW at 3 mph. The combined energy is 834 (moderate). That’s a proper window for intermediate surfers. The wave comment says "expect very good surf conditions." But it’s a fleeting moment; the afternoon turns cross-on again.

The real standout, the one to circle on your calendar, is Thursday morning, the 10th of September. We get a proper pulse of power. Roads End will see a solid 10ft groundswell from the WNW with a period of 11 seconds. That’s expert territory, maybe too much for most, but for the skilled crew, it’s heaven. Combined swell energy rockets to 2329 (strong). The wind is glassy from the NNE at just 3 mph. The call is "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers". Expect a crowd, because this spot is exposed and picks it up beautifully. That’s the best session of the outlook, no question. The following Sunday morning, the 13th of September also looks promising with another glassy session and a respectable 8ft from the WNW, again with excellent conditions for experienced surfers.

Overall, there’s a long dry spell at the start. From the 30th of August through to the 3rd of September, there’s barely a rideable wave. After the brief clean-up on the 4th, it gets marginal again until the big pulse on the 10th. The second week has a few more promising windows but with less certainty. Stick to the 10th and the 13th for the best shots.

Rusty, signing off.

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