Sebastian Inlet-First Peak Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let’s have a look at what’s on the table for the next stretch. Straight up, I’ve gotta be honest with you – this is a tough one. The whole 16-day window is looking pretty flat and uninspiring for Sebastian Inlet-First Peak. The swell is just tiny, barely a ripple, and the wind is all over the place, mostly cross or onshore, making a mess of what little bump there is. There’s no real energy to speak of, and the combined swell energy figures are all weak, mostly two-digit values like 7 (weak), 10 (weak), 33 (weak), 64 (weak), right up to a single three-digit reading of 103 (moderate wave energy) on the morning of Thursday, 3rd September, which is the only hint of something more substantial. But even then, the height is only 2ft, so it’s not a game-changer.

The first week is a write-off. From Tuesday, 25th August, right through to the end of August, it’s all “poor surf conditions” with swell heights bouncing between 0.3ft and 2ft. Winds are cross or cross-on, with a few glassy moments on the morning of Thursday, 27th August, but with a tiny 0.7ft swell, that glassy surface is just a tease. The period is all over the place too – some short 4-second junk, some longer 15-second pulses – but with no height, a long period just means a long wait for a knee-high dribble.

The first few days of September are more of the same. Tuesday, 1st September, and Wednesday, 2nd September, are still cross-on and choppy, with swell at 1ft to 2ft. The morning of Thursday, 3rd September, is where we get the best of a bad bunch. The wind goes glassy, coming from the N at 3 mph, and the swell is a tiny 2ft from the E with an 11-second period. The combined energy is 103 (moderate wave energy). This is the only session that even gets a “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions” comment, scoring a 1 out of 10. It’s not great, but it’s the best on offer. After that, it’s back to poor surf with cross-onshore winds and dropping energy, bottoming out at 6 (weak) by the morning of Wednesday, 9th September.

The break is a beach/jetty setup, very consistent, but when there’s no swell, consistency doesn’t mean a thing. The water temp is 86°F on the 25th, which is 0.9°F above normal, so it’s about average for the time of year.

Honestly, this is a tough stretch for paddle surfing. The whole 16 days are a gap for anything worthwhile. If you’re a kite surfer, some of those afternoons with a 12 mph cross-shore wind and a bit of chop might look more interesting, but for a standard surfboard, you’re better off waiting for a change in the forecast. It can’t stay this poor for long.

Rusty

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