Singleton Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s get into it for Singleton. This is a fairly exposed spot that likes a west-southwest swell, and there’s a lot to unpack over the next couple of weeks. We’ve got some solid groundswell coming, but the wind is going to be a real problem most of the time, so you’ve got to pick your moments.

The water’s sitting at 64°F, which is pretty much spot-on average for this time of year. No surprises there.

Alright, let’s run through it day by day.

The first real window that’s worth paddling out for hits on Monday the 14th of September. That morning is the standout in the whole outlook. The swell is pumping at 8 ft from the WSW with a nice long period of 14 seconds – that’s proper groundswell energy, and the combined energy reading is a strong 2107. That’s a lot of power in the water. The wind is light from the ESE at just 6 mph, blowing cross-offshore, which means clean, lined-up waves. This is definitely not for the beginners – over 5 ft, heading toward 8 ft. This is for the experienced crew. The waves should hold their shape well, with that long period pushing in. Singleton can have its moments, and Monday morning is the best of the lot.

Tuesday the 15th is also decent. The morning has 7 ft of swell from the WSW, 14-second period, with a proper offshore wind from the ENE at 16 mph. That’s clean and groomed, even if a bit blowy. The afternoon holds similar with 6 ft and offshore wind from the E at 16 mph. This is good, solid, drivable surf, but the morning of the 14th has the edge in quality.

After that, things get messy for a stretch. Wednesday the 16th drops off to 4 ft and the wind turns, and then from the 17th through the 20th of September, it’s pretty much a write-off. The swell hangs around, but the wind is either cross or onshore, and it gets real strong. On the 18th, we’ve got 12 ft from the W but it’s blowing 16 mph onshore – that’s a washing machine. By the 19th, there’s a monster 15 ft swell, but with a strong cross-onshore wind, that’s going to be a total mess. Unless you’ve got a kite, don’t even bother. The combined energy on the 19th morning is 7670 – that’s massive, but useless for paddling in those wind conditions.

We get another chance on the 24th of September, a Thursday. The morning is looking magic – 7 ft from the WSW, a very long period of 17 seconds, and that’s a rare treat. The wind is glass – glassy! Calm, zero wind, listed as “slight air”. Combined energy is 2303. That is as clean as it gets. It’s over 5 ft, so again, intermediate to expert territory, but with that long period and glassy surface, it’s going to be beautiful out there. The afternoon gets choppy, but the morning is pure gold. That’s the second real standout in this run.

The very end of the forecast, on the 26th of September, has a bit of 4 ft swell and clean cross-off wind in the morning, but the energy is low. Weak.

So, to boil it down: if you are experienced, Monday morning the 14th and Thursday morning the 24th are your absolute targets. Clean, powerful, and worth the paddle. The rest of the time, the wind is going to be a battle. Crowds? Singleton can get a few heads out, and on those good mornings, you can expect a few others in the water with you, but it’s not a circus.

That’s the picture. Hang in there for the clean days.

- Rusty

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