Scarecrows Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at what’s shaping up for Scarecrows over the next couple of weeks. Gotta be straight with you from the get-go: the first week or so is pretty average. There are some clean morning windows but the scores aren't really there for a standout session until we get further into the forecast.

The water's sitting at a warm 85°F, which is about 1°F above the usual for this time of year, so nothing too wild on that front.

We kick off on Wednesday the 2nd of September with a solid 6ft SW groundswell, period a very long 16 seconds. That's a lot of energy (1740 combined energy) but the wind is a cross-offshore SE breeze at 12 mph, keeping things clean on the face. The problem is the guidance is calling it marginal, and for an advanced reef setup like this, the long period can make it a bit tricky – those waves might stand up and throw, but the consistency isn't quite what we'd want. The afternoon gets cross and lumpy.

Thursday the 3rd through to Tuesday the 8th is a real grind. Swell drops to 4ft-5ft, mostly from the SSW. Winds are a mix of cross-off mornings and messy cross-shore afternoons. The combined wave energy bounces around between 600 and 1500 – weak to moderate stuff. The scores are low; this is a waiting game.

The first real glimmer of hope shows up on Saturday the 12th of September. A 5ft SW swell rolls in with that long 19-second period, and the combined energy jumps to a solid 2516 – strong wave energy. While the morning has a light NE offshore around 6 mph which is clean, the afternoon is the story: it goes glassy, dead calm, 0 mph wind. That is about as good as it gets for clean waves. The size is 5ft, which is pushing into the intermediate-to-expert range for most, but for the advanced crowd at Scarecrows, this is the pick of the whole outlook. The swell direction (SW) lines up perfectly with the optimum direction for this break.

Sunday the 13th holds at 6ft with a 17-second period and lighter winds, but the cross-shore creeps in by afternoon. Still a good morning session with 1811 combined energy.

Monday the 14th and Tuesday the 15th of September offer clean morning options with 5ft to 5ft SSW swell and light SE/E winds, keeping it cross-off. The combined energy is still moderate to strong (1668 and 1560), but the scores are decent. Good for a paddle if you miss the weekend.

By Wednesday the 16th of September, we see another beauty – a 5ft SSW groundswell with a 15-second period, and the morning is clean with a light E cross-off at 3 mph. But again, the afternoon steals the show: glassy, calm winds, and 5ft of SSW swell. The period drops to 14 seconds but it's still a groundswell. The energy is moderate at 998, but the conditions are perfect.

After that, Thursday the 17th sees things taper off quickly – the swell drops to 4ft and the combined energy fades to 611-704. It’s a return to the average stuff.

So, if you want the best on offer, you're looking at the afternoon of Saturday the 12th of September and the afternoon of Wednesday the 16th of September for the glassiest, cleanest conditions with a proper long-period SW groundswell. The morning of the 12th is also a solid shout with that offshore. Don't waste your time on the early week unless you're desperate.

Rusty.

Read more