Sebastian Inlet-Third Peak Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let's have a look at the slate for Sebastian Inlet-Third Peak (beach/jetty).

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you—it’s a pretty grim stretch ahead. We’re looking at a long, drawn-out period of small, messy surf. There’s no standout session in the first week; it’s mostly knee-to-waist high dribble with a lot of cross-shore or onshore wind messing it up. The energy is weak, nothing over a combined swell energy reading of 91 until the 9th. Honestly, for the first week, you’re better off doing something else.

Things get a little more interesting around Wednesday, September 9th. The swell energy jumps to 296 (moderate wave energy) as a 5ft to 5ft easterly swell starts showing up, but the wind is cross-onshore from the ENE at 9 to 12 mph, so it’ll be choppy and lumpy. That swell sticks around through Thursday the 10th, dropping back to 3ft with cross-onshore wind again. Not great quality.

The next real pulse looks to be around Wednesday, September 17th. Another easterly swell pushes in with 5ft to 5ft and combined energy readings hitting 262 and then 336 on the afternoon session. That’s a solid step up in power, but the catch is the wind is still cross-onshore from the east. It’s not clean. If you’re an experienced local who can handle a choppy line-up, those afternoon sessions on the 17th might be worth a look, but it’s no prize.

After that, Friday morning, September 18th shows a 3ft east-northeast swell with 9-second period and light onshore wind. The combined energy is 196, so the ocean has some push, but the wind isn't making it easy.

If I had to pick the best of a bad bunch, I’d say the early morning of Thursday, September 4th is your quietest window. Swell is tiny—2ft from the east—but you get a light cross-offshore breeze from the SSE and the report calls it "clean." It’s small, but at least it isn’t a washing machine. Similarly, Wednesday morning, September 16th has 2ft of east-northeast swell with a 10-second period and a clean cross-offshore breeze. It’s a knee-high dribbler, but perfect for a log if you just need some saltwater therapy.

Overall, this is a rough forecast. Too much wind, too small, and when the swell finally arrives it’s blown out. For the majority of the 16-day window, the surf is poor. There’s a 9-day gap of total dud conditions between the 4th and the 9th. The 5ft days on the 9th and 17th could be OK for a well-held shortboard if you’re desperate for some power, but it'll be lumpy. Crowds are likely at this spot, and with the quality this low, it could still feel busy because there's not much else running.

That's the picture. A lot of waiting and watching for now.

Rusty

Read more