Sponge bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, let's have a look at what Sponge Bay has got cooking for us over the next couple of weeks.

Alright, mate, let’s be straight with you. Sponge Bay is a beach and reef setup, and it’s pretty exposed to the swell, but over the next 16 days, it’s a real mixed bag. We’re starting off with a bit of a pulse of energy, but honestly, it’s not the cleanest or most consistent run. The water temp is sitting at 55°, which is about 2° colder than what’s normal for this time of year. Nothing to write home about, just a touch cool.

The first real action kicks off on Wednesday, the 2nd of September. Wednesday morning sees a clean 6 ft SSE swell pushing in from a 14-second period, with a cross-offshore wind from the NW. The combined energy is solid, at 1463, so there’s some push behind it. The wind is a moderate breeze, but it’s cross-off, so the face should be alright. It’s noted as marginal, though. The standout is Wednesday afternoon: the swell bumps up just a touch to 6 ft from the SSE, the period stretches out to a lovely 17 seconds, and the wind swings to a light offshore from the NNE. The energy jumps to 1961, and the comments say it’s excellent for experienced surfers. That’s your pick of the first week. If you’re a competent surfer, be there for the afternoon session.

Thursday the 3rd starts to drop off. Morning is 4 ft SSE at 13 seconds, but the cross-off wind is a bit stronger at 12 mph, and the energy is down to 506. It’s marginal. The afternoon is smaller at 3 ft, same direction, with a gentle breeze. It’s surfable, but nothing special.

From Friday the 4th all the way through to Sunday the 6th, it’s tiny. Swell heights are below 2 ft, and the energy values are in the double digits – 74, 50, 30, 35. This is a flat spell, plain and simple. Not worth paddling out for.

Monday the 7th and Tuesday the 8th try to pick up a little. Monday morning is a tiny 0.7 ft, but by Tuesday morning we get a 4 ft SSE swell at 10 seconds, with a light cross-off breeze and energy of 291. It’s got a “good surf conditions” tag, but it’s nothing to rave about. The rest of that week stays small and mediocre, with heights around 2 ft to 4 ft and energy dropping back into the low hundreds. The wind is mostly cross-off or light, but the swell just isn’t there.

Then we hit a big gap. From around the 10th of September, the size drops off again, and the energy is pitiful. Thursday the 10th afternoon is actually glassy, with a WNW breeze at 3 mph, but the swell is only 1 ft. It’s a complete flat spell for several days.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting, but it’s a warning. On Friday the 11th, a big, messy pulse shows up. Morning has a 10 ft SSW swell, but the wind is a moderate cross-onshore from the SE at 16 mph, and the energy is 2106. It’s described as poor, and it’s a cross-onshore, so it’s going to be choppy and lumpy. The afternoon is a bit better at 6 ft, but still windy and cross-on.

The real bombs hit on the 15th and 16th of September. Tuesday the 15th morning sees a massive 15 ft SSW swell with a 12-second period, and the energy is a whopping 7130. The wind is a gentle cross-off from the NW, so it’s clean. But the comments are clear: the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. 15 ft is well over the 8 ft mark, so this is strictly for experts only, and even then, it might be a washing machine. The afternoon is the same size, 15 ft from the S, with a gentle offshore wind. Still too big.

Wednesday the 16th is even bigger. Morning is 16 ft from the S, 12-second period, energy 10642, and the wind is light cross-off. Again, too big. The afternoon is 16 ft from the S, with a 13-second period, energy 12030, but the wind is onshore from the S. That’s a no-go.

Thursday the 17th morning drops to 12 ft from the S, 13-second period, energy 6107, with a light cross-off wind. Still too big for this break.

So, the reality is this: Sponge Bay has a couple of decent windows in the first week, specifically Wednesday the 2nd afternoon, which is the standout. After that, it’s a long stretch of flat, small, or poor conditions. The big swells in the second week are way too powerful for this spot. For kite surfing, the big, windy, cross-onshore days might be interesting, but for paddle surfing, it’s a miss.

Rusty

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