Roads End Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ at Roads End. It’s a bit of a slow burn, but there’s a solid pulse of energy coming through later on, so don’t write the whole 16 days off just yet.

For the first week, honestly, it’s flat and messy. The water is a chilly 48°F right now, which is a massive 12°F colder than usual for this time of year – that’s far colder than normal, you’ll be wanting a thick hood and gloves. From Wednesday 26th August right through to the end of the month, the swell is tiny, mostly 1ft to 3ft out of the southwest with a long period of 14 to 18 seconds, but the wind is a cross-onshore breeze, and the combined wave energy is weak to moderate (mostly between 185 and 473). Conditions are just poor or marginal at best – not worth paddling out for. It’s a dry spell, with a gap of several days of no real surf on offer.

There’s a bit of a shift by the start of September. Monday 1st September and Tuesday 2nd September see a little bump in size to 4ft to 4ft, coming from the west-northwest with a shorter period of 9 seconds. The combined energy climbs to moderate (371 to 382), but the wind is still cross or cross-onshore, so it’s messy and choppy. Still only marginal.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting for the crew who charge. Thursday 3rd September – that’s the one to circle on the calendar. The swell jumps to 10ft out of the west-northwest with a period of 11 seconds, and the combined energy roars to 2307 (morning) and 2110 (afternoon) – that’s strong to very strong wave energy. This is big, powerful stuff. It’s going to be too big for beginners, and only for experienced surfers. The wind is a gentle cross-shore breeze, so expect some chop, but the raw power is there. The swell direction is a solid west-northwest, which matches the optimum direction for Roads End (W). This is the standout of the whole outlook.

The swell drops again quickly after that. Friday 4th September still has decent 6ft to 6ft from the northwest, but the period is short (9 seconds) and the wind picks up cross-onshore. From Saturday 5th September through to the end of the 16 days, it’s back to small, messy, and marginal – 2ft to 7ft, mostly cross-onshore, with combined energy moderate to strong (360 to 942). Nothing that’ll get the heart racing, except maybe the morning of 9th September with 7ft and offshore wind from the west – that could be clean, but the short period (9-10 seconds) limits the quality.

So, bottom line: the first week is a write-off. The best call is Thursday 3rd September for the big, powerful west-northwest swell, but it’s for experienced surfers only. The long-range stuff (second week) is inconsistent and mostly marginal, with nothing that really stands out as a solid, clean, high-quality option.

Stay patient, keep an eye on the charts, and if you’re a proper charger, 3rd September is your day.

Rusty.

Read more