Saint Annes Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here with the imperial measure. Let’s be straight: looking at the next 16 days for Saint Annes, there’s not a whole lot to get excited about. This is a sheltered reef set-up, and the swell just doesn’t want to line up with the wind. The water sits at about 64° which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year, but that’s about the only bright spot.

Right now, from Friday September 11, we’ve got a long-period groundswell pumping in from the SSW at 3 ft, but it’s 16 seconds apart, which is very long period. That kind of energy is better for a point or river mouth, and at a sheltered reef with a cross-shore wind of 12 mph, it’s just messy with a cross-chop. No good. That pattern sticks around for days. The combined energy is moderate (574) but it’s wasted.

Saturday September 12 brings a tiny 2 ft SW swell with a light cross-on breeze. The swell period drops to 14 seconds—still long—but it’s just too small and the wind isn’t clean. Later on Saturday, a short-period 6 ft WNW swell shows up with a period of only 7 seconds. That’s steep, crumbly, and combined with a cross-wind at 12 mph, it’s a choppy mess. The energy jumps to moderate (531), but the quality is poor.

By Sunday September 13, that same short-period swell pushes up to 10 ft from the WNW, but it’s only 8 seconds. That’s too big for beginners and with a fresh cross-wind of 22 mph creating lumpy cross-chop, this is only for the most die-hard experts. The combined energy is strong (1044), but it’s not surf-able for most.

Monday September 14 is the first time we see a glimmer. The height drops to 6 ft from the WNW with an 8-second period and a light cross-wind of 6 mph. It’s still short-period and the wind isn’t fully offshore, but the energy is moderate (844). It’s a marginal call—questionable tide conditions—but if you’re desperate, this is the best of a bad bunch. The crowd factor is “often” so expect company even for this.

Tuesday September 15 morning: an offshore wind from the WSW at just 3 mph hits that 5 ft WNW swell with a 9-second period. That’s the cleanest the wind gets in the whole 16 days, with a combined energy of 461. It’s still marginal, but an offshore breeze on a reef can make even average swell feel better. This is the standout moment. Get in then, because it’s short-lived.

From there, from Wednesday September 16 all the way through to Saturday September 26, it’s a rinse-and-repeat of small to medium swells from the SSW or WSW, with periods ranging from 14 to 19 seconds, all with cross-shore or cross-on winds. Heights hover around 2 ft to 5 ft. None of it hits the quality mark. There’s a slight spike on September 24 and 25 with 5 ft WNW swell and a 10-11 second period, but the wind stays cross-on. It’s still only marginal at best.

The overall energy stays moderate (most values in the 400-700 range), but it never fires. No standouts past that Tuesday September 15 morning. If the ocean doesn’t deliver, there’s always next forecast.

Rusty.

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