Saint Annes Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you about the outlook for Saint Annes. It’s a reef break, sheltered from the swell, and it’s got a bit of a tough run ahead. The water’s sitting at 59°, which is about 3° colder than usual for this time of year – you’ll feel that chill for sure.

The next 16 days are a real struggle. There’s just nothing with any real quality on offer. The first solid recommendation doesn’t even pop up until the 4th of September, and even then it’s only marginal. The wind is mostly cross or cross-onshore, and the swell is small and weak. It’s a long stretch of poor conditions.

We start with a gap. From the 1st right through to the 3rd of September, the surf is a write-off. The energy is there, but it’s all wrong. The combined swell energy is low to moderate, hitting 235 on the 1st morning, but it’s a messy, short-period swell with poor conditions. No point in paddling out.

Thursday the 4th of September sees a little bump, with the swell picking up to 3 ft from the SSW and the combined energy jumping to 924. The wind is light cross-onshore, so it’s not totally blown out, but it’s still only marginal. The period is 16-17 seconds, which is a long-period groundswell. For a reef break like Saint Annes, that can actually be a good thing – it’ll focus the energy and give you some proper shape, but the size is just too small to get excited about.

The 5th of September is much the same. The morning has a 4 ft SSW swell and light offshore wind from the WSW, which is a nice touch, but the combined energy drops to 836 and the conditions are still only marginal. The wind shifts to cross-shore in the afternoon, so it’s a short window.

The 6th and 7th are more of the same – small, messy, and not worth the drive. The 7th morning does have a glassy surface with a 2 ft SSW swell, but it’s weak with only 270 combined energy. It’s surfable, but very ordinary.

The only real standout in this whole outlook is the 8th of September. It’s not big, with a 4 ft swell from the WNW, but the combined energy is a weak 260-300. What makes it interesting is the wind is glassy, totally calm, for both the morning and afternoon. That’s a major positive for this exposed reef. The period is a short 8-9 seconds, so it’s a windswell, not a groundswell, but with the wind being dead still, the surface will be like a mirror. It’s the cleanest option you’ll get, but it’s still only a 1 out of 10.

After the 8th, it’s back to the doldrums. The 9th through to the 15th of September are filled with small, weak swells, mostly cross-onshore winds, and poor to marginal conditions. The combined energy drops to as low as 79 on the 14th morning. The 15th has a 2 ft NW swell, but it’s still cross-onshore. It’s really not worth dragging your board out.

The final day, the 16th of September, sees a last-gasp effort. The afternoon has a 6 ft swell from the NW, with a combined energy of 829 and a short period of 8 seconds. The wind is light cross-onshore. That’s the biggest swell of the period, but it’s a short-period windswell, and with the wind being slightly onshore, it’ll be chop. It’s marginal at best, and only for the most dedicated.

Honestly, this is a tough stretch. Saint Annes is a spot that can be decent, but it is not happening now. The best bet is the glassy morning of the 8th of September, but don’t expect much. The long-range call for the 16th is a bit more size, but it’s a gamble. Keep an eye on the sky, but for now, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

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