Shipwrecks Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at the next couple of weeks for one spot: Shipwrecks. It’s a reef and point setup, fairly consistent, and it likes swell from the south. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so nothing wild there.

Right now, we’ve got a bit of a slow start. Monday morning, September 14th, there’s a tiny 2ft SSW groundswell with a long 17-second period. That long period means the waves will have good shape but could be a bit lining up straight at a beach break, which at a point and reef like Shipwrecks could work in your favour. The wind is light SE, so that’s clean. But the combined energy is only 276 – weak – and we’re looking at marginal conditions. Not the day to get too excited. Monday afternoon the wind swings SW and picks up to 12 mph, turns cross and kills it with a cross-chop, surf’s poor.

Tuesday through Thursday, it’s more of the same. The swell hovers around 2ft to 3ft, mostly from the SSW, periods still long. But the wind is mostly cross or cross-onshore, keeping the quality down. The energy readings bounce between 231 and 432 – still weak to moderate at best. Morning sessions on Wednesday and Thursday might offer a slight improvement with light SE wind, but the wave comment calls it marginal. Not worth rushing for.

Friday morning looks poor, but then Friday afternoon, September 18th, you start to see a shift. Wind drops to 6 mph from the SW, becoming light cross, and the wave energy hits 381. Still weak, but the comment upgrades to marginal. It’s teasing.

Saturday afternoon, September 19th, we get a clean window: 2ft SW swell, 18-second period, and WSW wind at 12 mph blowing cross-offshore. That’s nice and clean. Energy is 386 – still weak – but the clean description is promising. Could be a fun little session if you pick your tide.

Sunday afternoon, September 20th, is the first real standout. Swell holds at 2ft from the SW, 17-second period, and the wind is WSW at 9 mph – cross-off and clean. The energy bumps up a bit to 401. The wave comment says "expect good surf conditions." That’s the best we’ve seen.

Then Monday afternoon, September 21st: this is the real highlight. Still 3ft SW swell, period 17 seconds, but the wind goes glassy – SE at only 3 mph. That’s perfect. Combined energy is 469 – moderate now – and the comment says "expect good surf conditions." If you can make it, Monday afternoon at Shipwrecks looks like the pick of the whole run. Clean, glassy, waist-to-chest high lines. Crowds are possible here, but on a Monday afternoon with that glass, it might be worth the gamble.

Tuesday afternoon, September 22nd, also looks clean with a cross-off WSW breeze and 3ft SW swell, but the energy is a bit lower at 352. Still a solid session.

After that, it fades. From Wednesday the 23rd through to Sunday the 27th, it’s mostly poor. Swell drops to 2ft-2ft, periods shorten to 12-15 seconds, and the wind is onshore or cross-onshore. Energy readings fall back into the low 200s. Not worth it.

Monday the 28th is dead – 1ft and poor.

Then on Tuesday, September 29th, something pops. The morning shows a 5ft SE swell, 16-second period, and combined energy of 1519 – that’s strong. Wind is light SE. The wave comment calls it marginal with a score of 3 out of 10, so it’s not a sure thing, but that’s a legit pulse of size. That’s over a week away, so keep an eye on it. If it holds, Shipwrecks could have some solid SSW groundswell wrapping in and holding up well in the offshore winds.

So, overall: the run has a few clean windows but mostly small and marginal. The absolute best is Monday afternoon, September 21st – glassy, clean, waist-to-chest swell. Sunday afternoon the 20th is the runner-up. That Tuesday the 29th pulse has potential but is still a long way out.

Stay patient, pick your windows, and don’t force it on the junky days.

Rusty.

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