Scarecrows Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here. We’ve got a solid run of south-west groundswell lined up for Scarecrows, but it’s a slow burn to get there. The first few days are messy and only worth a look if you’re desperate. The real action, and the standout window, kicks off from Wednesday the 9th and holds through to Tuesday the 15th of September.

The water’s sitting at a balmy 85°, which is about 1° warmer than normal for this time of year, so nothing too out of the ordinary, it’s just your typical warm tropical bath.

Alright, let’s start with Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th. The swell is there, around 5 ft and 4 ft from the SW, but the wind is a cross-shore mess—especially Thursday with that SSE 12 mph breeze and risk of thunderstorms. The wave energy is moderate (909 and 883), but it’s lumpy and chopped, not the kind of clean lines you want. You could paddle out Thursday afternoon when the wind drops to a light breeze (6 mph), but it’s still a cross-shore, so it’s marginal.

Saturday the 5th and Sunday the 6th see a bit of a tease. Saturday morning has clean conditions with a light cross-offshore SE breeze, and a 17-second period SW swell at 4 ft. That long period is proper groundswell energy (950), but the waves might wall up a bit on a reef like this, and the quality is still rated as marginal. Sunday the 6th is a write-off—wind ramps to 19 mph from the SE, cross-off in the morning but with a fresh breeze that makes it choppy. The swell energy jumps to strong (1389), but it’s not clean.

Monday the 7th and Tuesday the 8th are still in the “almost there” zone. Clean mornings with cross-off winds and 4 ft swell, but the energy is moderate (925-1399). It’s surfable, but nothing to clear your schedule for.

Now, here’s the good bit. From Wednesday the 9th of September, Scarecrows starts to fire. The swell sits around 4 ft to 5 ft from the SSW, with a period of 15 to 16 seconds. That’s proper long-period groundswell, and on this reef break, it’ll line up beautifully. The morning winds are light and cross-offshore (ESE at 6 mph), so the surface is clean all session. The wave energy jumps to strong (1437 to 1520), and while it’s consistent, it’s not overly powerful—this is a sweet spot for advanced surfers. The tip of the spear is Thursday the 10th morning and Friday the 11th morning: both mornings have that same light, clean cross-off with 5 ft to 5 ft of SSW swell. It’s clean, it’s got push, and it’s not too big. This is the best on offer.

Saturday the 12th afternoon is another sneaky cracker—light cross-off again, 4 ft SSW swell, but the period jumps to a very long 19 seconds, and the combined energy hits 1848 (very strong). That’s a deep ocean groundswell that will reel down the reef with heaps of power, but remember, such a long period can make a reef break a bit too straight and fast for some. Still, for the crew that like a proper drop, it’s a standout.

The size picks up from Sunday the 13th into Monday the 14th, with 5 ft to 6 ft swell. Monday the 14th morning is clean with light cross-off, and the energy is a massive 1945—that’s strong to very strong. At 6 ft to 6 ft, it’s starting to push into expert territory, especially on a reef. If you’re not confident, give it a miss. If you are, it’s going to be a session to remember.

Tuesday the 15th morning offers a rare treat: glassy conditions with a 6 ft SSW swell. That near-offshore ENE breeze at 3 mph and the word “glassy” is a surfer’s dream. Energy is still strong at 1328. It’s going to be perfect, but again, that size is for experienced paddlers.

After that, it eases off quickly. Wednesday the 16th has clean mornings but dropping to 5 ft, and then Thursday the 17th and Friday the 18th see the swell back down to 3 ft to 4 ft with glassy or clean conditions—good for a grovel session on the smaller days, but nothing that’ll have you rushing.

So to wrap it up: the first week is a write-off until Wednesday the 9th. Once it clicks, it’s all good. The absolute best standouts are Thursday the 10th morning and Friday the 11th morning for clean, manageable groundswell. Then Saturday the 12th afternoon and Monday the 14th morning if you want some extra grunt and can handle the size. It’s a reef, it’s consistent, and it’s a shallow take-off, so bring your wetsuit and your wits.

Rusty.

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