Spring Lake Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s cut to it: the next couple of weeks are looking like a proper flat spell. There’s a bit of swell kicking around, but it’s small, weak, and mostly coming from the wrong direction. We’ve got a long stretch of poor conditions ahead, so if you’re keen, you’ll be scraping for anything.

For the first week, we’re dealing with tiny, short-period swell out of the southeast. The energy is weak—we’re talking readings in the teens and low-twenties (18 to 83 on the combined energy scale). Surf heights barely get over 2ft, and the period is mostly under 10 seconds, so it’s going to be soft and gutless. There’s a small bump on the 13th, but the wind turns onshore and messes it up. The whole stretch looks better for a float than a surf.

We do get a little window around the 16th and 17th of September. A bit of southerly energy shows up with a touch more size, maybe 3ft, but the period drops right off to a weak 5 seconds. It’s clean, with a light offshore breeze on the Wednesday morning and afternoon, but it’s still pretty ordinary. It’s the best we’ll see in the first week, but that’s not saying much.

After that, it’s back to the doldrums. From the 17th through to the 24th, we’re looking at tiny, onshore slop. The swell gets smaller and the period stretches out to 12-13 seconds, but with that long period and basically no height, the waves will just close out. There’s a possible bump from the northeast on the 20th, but the winds are all wrong.

Looking at the second week, it’s honestly a write-off for surfing. The swell stays tiny, mostly under 1ft to 3ft, and the winds are mostly cross-onshore. There’s a bit of chop and it’s just not going to be fun. The energy readings are all low, and it’s not worth getting your hopes up. If you must get wet, you’re better off with a different board.

One more thing: if you’re thinking about Spring Lake, the water is 75°, which is over 4° warmer than normal for this time of year. That’s a real warm patch, so at least the water will feel good while you’re sitting there waiting for a wave that isn’t coming.

So, the honest truth is there are no real standouts in this 16-day window. The closest thing to a surf window is around the 16th and 17th, but it’s not good. There’s a blank run for most of the second week that lasts for several days with nothing surfable. It tends not to stay this poor for long, and forecasts can change, so keep an eye out, but don’t hold your breath.

Stay salty,
Rusty

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