Saint Annes Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Saint Annes.

Straight up, the next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got swell on the cards, but the wind and conditions are going to be the main story. There’s a lot of chop and cross-shore wind messing things up, so it’s not going to be clean and glassy every day. We’re looking at a long stretch of mediocre to poor conditions, with only a few windows where things line up.

The water temp is sitting at 63°F currently, which is about normal for this time of year – nothing unusual there.

This first week is a tough one. Thursday morning (10th September) sees some small SSW swell around 3ft with a long 17-second period, giving a moderate wave energy (672). But the wind is cross-shore from the WNW at 15 km/h, creating a slight cross-chop. It’s a marginal call, and the score is low. Thursday afternoon is worse, with the wind picking up to 20 km/h and the swell shifting to SW at 3ft, period 16 seconds. The wave energy is a bit higher (752), but the conditions are poor. Friday and Saturday follow the same pattern – small swell, but the wind stays cross or cross-onshore, keeping the surface messy. The swell does start to build a bit; Saturday afternoon sees a shorter period WNW swell of 6ft with a weak 7-second period, but the cross-shore wind is up to 25 km/h, creating a lumpy cross-chop. That’s not a fun paddle.

Sunday (13th September) is a real kicker. The swell is 8ft from the WNW, but the period is a short 8 seconds. The wind is howling from the NW at 35 km/h, and the wave energy is very strong (863). This is a big, raw, messy ocean. It’s expert-only territory, and even then, it’s going to be a battle. The break is a reef, so it can handle the size, but the wind is just going to tear it apart. This is honestly more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Monday (14th September) and Tuesday (15th September) are a slight improvement. The swell drops to 5ft to 6ft from the WNW, with a period of 9 seconds. The wind is lighter, 10 to 15 km/h, but it’s cross-on or cross-shore, still not clean. These are marginal days, with a slight trace of chop.

Then we hit a real lull. From Wednesday (16th September) through to Sunday (20th September), the swell drops right off, down to 2ft to 3ft. The wind is mostly light, but it’s cross-shore or cross-on, and the wave energy is low (264 to 683). The conditions are poor, with no real surf to speak of. It’s a flat spell.

Now, here’s the one standout in the whole forecast. It’s a bit of a way off, but look at Tuesday (22nd September). We’ve got a SW swell of 3ft with a 16-second period, and the wave energy is solid (706). The wind? It’s going to go glassy in the afternoon. That’s right, glassy. WSW wind at 5 km/h, with the wave comment saying “glassy”. This is the window. The swell is small, but it’s a long-period groundswell, which is great for a reef break like Saint Annes. The wind is dead calm, so the surface will be like a mirror. It’s a small swell, but for a clean, glassy session, this is the best of the lot. It’s a promising one, but it’s a week and a half away, so keep an eye on it.

Wednesday (23rd September) and Thursday (24th September) see the wind shift back to cross-on, and the swell drops again, ending the run on a flat note on Friday (25th September) with a tiny 2ft SW swell.

So, the best on offer is Tuesday 22nd September afternoon. It’s the only time the wind truly goes glassy. The rest of the period is a write-off due to wind or flatness. Stay patient.

Rusty.

Read more