Spring Lake Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. I’m lookin’ at Spring Lake here, and I gotta be straight with you—this is a tough stretch. The whole 16-day window is a real struggle. There’s no standout, no day where everything clicks. The forecast is pretty much a write-off for decent surf, so don’t get your hopes up.

The first bit of surf worth paddling out for is on the morning of Sunday, September 13th. We’ve got a tiny 3ft SSE swell, period a short 5 seconds, so it’s weak and disorganised. The combined energy is only 70 (moderate wave energy), but it’s small. The wind is a light cross-offshore from the SW, so the surface will be clean. Water temp is a notable 75°, which is 4° warmer than usual for this time of year—so it’s much warmer than normal, almost like a late summer holdover. But honestly, the waves are just ordinary. It’s barely surfable.

After that, there’s a long gap. Nothing really worth a mention until Thursday, September 17th, when the swell picks up a bit. On the morning of the 17th, we get a 4ft E swell at 6 seconds, with combined energy hitting 129 (moderate wave energy). The problem? The wind is a cross-onshore from the ENE at 12 mph, messing up the surface. Then in the afternoon, it’s 4ft from the same direction, but the wind turns onshore from the ESE at 9 mph. Both are poor surf conditions. This is a beach-and-reef setup, and with that wind, it’s honestly more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The rest of the run is a flat, choppy mess. There’s a bit of a pulse on Thursday, September 24th, with a 5ft E swell at 7 seconds and combined energy jumping to 339 (strong wave energy). But the wind is a fresh cross-onshore from the ENE at 19 mph in the morning, then 16 mph in the afternoon. That’s lumpy, choppy, and just not fun. It’s too big for beginners at 5ft, and with the short period and poor wind, it’s only for the hardcore or the kites.

So, bottom line: Spring Lake is not giving us any good options in this 16-day window. The consistency is just not there, and the few bumps of swell are ruined by the wind. For this area, a blank run like this is more normal than you’d hope. Don’t bin your board just yet, but this stretch is a write-off.

Rusty.

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