Shit Pipe Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Shit Pipe over the next 16 days. Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – it’s a grim outlook. The forecast is almost entirely a write-off, with very few windows that even come close to being worth paddling out. There’s a massive gap of poor conditions from the start right through to the middle of the second week, with only a couple of brief moments that might get your hopes up.

The first real chance for a surf comes early on Wednesday the 2nd of September. Wednesday morning at Shit Pipe is about as good as it gets in this whole period. We’ve got clean, glassy conditions with a light SSE breeze at 3 mph. The swell is a small 3 ft from the SE at a 10-second period. The combined energy is moderate at 154. Water temp is 82°, which is bang on average for this time of year. It’s a sandbar break, fairly consistent, and the optimum swell direction is ESE, so the SE swell is a little off but still offering some shape. It’s surfable, but it’s pretty ordinary – just tiny, clean waves. Crowds are possible here, and with conditions this small, it’ll be a friendly, mellow vibe. This is the standout, but it’s a low bar.

After that morning, it all goes downhill fast. Wednesday afternoon sees a cross-on S wind kicking up to 12 mph, and the swell drops to 3 ft with poor surf. From Thursday the 3rd right through to Tuesday the 8th, it’s a dead zone. Swell sizes hang around 1 ft to 4 ft, but the winds are consistently cross-on, onshore, or choppy, with scores of zero across the board. The combined energy drops to as low as 20, which is weak. There’s a small bump on the 8th with a 4 ft ESE swell and moderate energy (107), but it’s cross-on and choppy – not worth it.

The second week doesn’t offer much hope either. There’s a fleeting moment on Wednesday the 9th of September morning with glassy conditions again, but the swell is only 1 ft from the SE (energy 41). It’s clean but tiny. After that, it’s more of the same: small, weak swells with cross-off or onshore winds right through to the end of the 16-day window on the 17th. The only thing that stands out is the period on the 17th afternoon – a 0.7 ft swell from the ESE with a very long 13-second period (energy 34). That’s a groundswell, but it’s so small it’s barely a ripple. For a sandbar like Shit Pipe, that long period would likely make it break too straight to be any fun.

Truth is, mate, there’s nothing here for the experienced crew. The best morning is that Wednesday the 2nd, but it’s beginner-friendly at best. If you’re a kite surfer, the stronger onshore winds on the 7th and 8th might look more interesting than the paddle scene. For the rest of us, it’s a long stretch of flat and choppy water. The forecasts can change, but for now, it’s a tough run.

Rusty.

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