Shipwrecks Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, let's talk in feet and Fahrenheit. The water’s sitting at a toasty 88° – that’s 5° warmer than normal for this time of year, which is very unusual. Feels like a hot tub. The only spot in the game is Shipwrecks, a reef and point that’s fairly consistent, but we’ve got a rough start.

From Saturday the 29th all the way through the first week, the wave heights are tiny – 2 to 3 feet at best – and the wind is a mess. Onshore and cross-onshore breezes are wrecking any chance of clean waves. The combined energy is weak, mostly below 1000, and the conditions are called marginal or poor. For over a week, there’s nothing doing.

Then, around Friday the 4th of September, we get a bump. A south swell pushes in, with wave heights hitting 6 feet on Friday morning and peaking at 7 feet Friday afternoon. That’s getting up there. The combined energy jumps to 1363 and 1530, so there’s some moderate-to-strong power behind it. But the period is only 11 seconds, so it’s a short-period wind swell, not the real deal. The wind is the letdown – Friday morning is a light cross-onshore, a little bumpy, and Friday afternoon turns into a cross-shore breeze with chop. It’s not clean, and with the swell coming from the south and the break’s best direction being south, it’s aimed right, but the conditions hold it back.

Saturday the 5th of September drops back to around 5 feet in the morning and 3 feet in the afternoon. The morning still has that light cross-onshore, but it’s light, so you might find a few. The afternoon builds a 15-second period from the SSW, so more shape and push.

The one standout, the only real highlight in this whole 16-day outlook, is Sunday the 6th of September in the afternoon. The swell is only about 3 feet, but it’s got a 15-second period – that’s proper long-period groundswell. The wind goes light and offshore from the west. That means glassy, clean, lined-up waves. The combined energy is only 445, so it’s not pumping, but the quality will be there. For a reef and point, that long-period swell will wrap in nicely and offer some really clean rides.

From Monday the 7th onward, it’s back to small, weak surf. The combined energy is below 500, and the scores are all zeros and ones. A couple of afternoons have clean offshore wind, but the waves are barely 2 feet. Not worth the drive.

So, to put it plainly: the first week is a dud. The one day to circle on the calendar is Sunday, September 6th, in the afternoon at Shipwrecks. It won’t be big, but it’ll be clean, and that’s the best we’ve got.

Rusty.

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