Spot x Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, this is Rusty. Let’s have a look at Spot X. It’s a reef break, very consistent, exposed to the swell, and it likes swell from the WSW. The water here is sitting at 68°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – a solid 4° above average.

We’ve got a rough start to the period. From Sunday the 9th through to Tuesday the 11th, it’s basically a write-off. There’s a big, powerful SW groundswell in the water – 13 ft to 18 ft with a very long 16 second period – and the wave energy is high (8365 to 14497). But the wind is howling from the WSW at 15 to 34 mph, straight onshore or cross-onshore, turning it into a complete mess. Not worth paddling out.

Wednesday the 12th is still marginal. The swell drops to 12 ft from the SW, 14 second period, and the wind eases to a gentle 9 mph breeze from the WSW, onshore. It’s a marginal call with questionable tides.

Things start looking up Thursday the 13th. The morning has a light cross-shore from the NNW at only 3 mph, with a clean 12 ft SW swell at 15 seconds. The energy is still solid (6449). The real standout, though, is Thursday afternoon. The swell picks up to 13 ft from the SW with a very long 17 second period, the wind is a light cross-onshore breeze, and the wave energy is pumping (8574). It’s scoring an 8. This is the first real highlight – a big, clean groundswell with light wind. It'll be a bit hefty at 13 ft, so more for experienced surfers.

Friday the 14th is another standout. In the morning we see exceptional conditions for experts. An 12 ft SW swell, 16 second period, with a gentle offshore breeze from the NE at 9 mph. That’s clean. Then Friday afternoon, it goes glassy. A light NNW airflow, almost nothing, and a 10 ft SW swell with a 15 second period. That’s as clean as it gets, but the energy drops a bit (4121). It’s still a beautiful afternoon session.

The weekend (Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th) is solid but not perfect. We’ve got 8 ft to 12 ft swell shifting from SW to WSW, with a steady 13 to 15 second period. The wind is cross-offshore from the NNE and N, keeping it clean, but the energy is moderate. Sunday afternoon is the better of the two, with the swell building back to 12 ft and a longer 15 second period.

We hit another patch of poor conditions from Monday the 17th through Wednesday the 19th. The swell is back up to 13 ft to 20 ft, but the wind turns gale-force from the WNW and SSW, blowing it out. Wednesday the 19th is particularly nasty – 20 ft swell with a near gale, not surfable.

Then there’s a big gap of poor surf from Thursday the 20th through Monday the 24th. Strong winds, onshore, with 13 ft to 15 ft SW swells creating lumpy, blown-out conditions.

The very best of the whole run are Thursday the 13th afternoon and Friday the 14th. Thursday arvo gives you the biggest, cleanest swell (13 ft, SW) with light winds. Friday morning gives you that offshore, clean 12 ft set. These are the two sessions to circle on the calendar.

-Rusty

Read more