State Line Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, the outlook’s a slow burner this time around. We're looking at State Line, and for the first few days, it’s not offering much. The only break that shows up is a pretty consistent one, but the wind and swell just aren't lining up to make it worth paddling out.

The opening Monday afternoon, the 31st of August, is a write-off. We’ve got a waist-high 0.9m (about 3ft) SSW swell, but it’s messy with a cross-onshore breeze. The combined wave energy is sitting at a moderate 408, but the surf conditions are just poor – choppy and uninviting. Water temp is 15°, which is basically about average for this time of year.

The next few days into Tuesday and Wednesday are more of the same: small, crossed-up swell, light to moderate cross-onshore winds, and the water’s churned up. The swell period is short, around 7 to 10 seconds, so not much grunt or shape to the waves. The energy starts climbing, hitting 977 on Wednesday afternoon, but that’s coming with a 2.5m (over 8ft) swell that’s just too big and wonky for a clean ride, and the heavy rain and fresh onshore wind make it a total mess. This stretch is a kite surfers' playground more than a paddle surfer's.

Thursday the 3rd starts to look a bit more interesting, though still marginal. Swell jumps to 1.8m (6ft) from the WNW, with energy surging to 1172. The wind is light, but still cross-onshore in the morning. By Thursday afternoon, the wind turns more onshore and the swell hits 2.2m (7ft) with energy over 1600, but conditions are still described as marginal.

The real standout window hits on Friday the 4th of September. By the afternoon, the wind drops to glassy and the swell is a solid 2.1m (7ft) from the WNW, with a moderate period of 9 seconds. The combined energy is a punchy 1376. This is the pick of the first week – clean, powerful, and for experienced surfers only. That glassy wind will make the lineup look like a mirror. The waves will have some real weight to them.

After that, it drops off hard into Saturday and Sunday, with a long-period SSW groundswell (15-16 seconds) coming through. The comfort is there, but the size drops right down to 0.9m to 1.0m (3-3ft). The energy is moderate (518-770), and while the swell is clean, the long period means it might go a bit fat and close out at a beach break. The winds shift around, keeping things cross-shore or cross-on, so it’s not the classic cleaner State Line we want.

The second week starts with a tiny little pulse on the 8th of September – Tuesday morning glassy, with a 1.5m (5ft) NW swell. The period is short (6 secs), and the energy is a moderate 409. Not a standout, but a quiet, clean option. The real red flag in that week comes on Tuesday afternoon and again on Wednesday afternoon, and then a huge 3.0m (10ft) NW swell hits with energy over 1400. The wind is glassy or light, but every report clearly states the swell is predicted to be too big for the break. This is only for experts, if at all, and honestly it looks raw and potentially dangerous at that size.

Thursday and Friday see another elevated swell, 1.8m to 3.0m (6-10ft) from the NW, but the wind picks up to a moderate breeze, leaving things lumpy. The energy stays high.

The final promising spot shows up on Monday the 14th and Tuesday the 15th of September. The swell drops way back to 0.6m to 1.0m (2-3ft) from the SSW and NW, with a long 12-13 second period. The wind goes glassy both Monday and Tuesday afternoons. The energy is low (294-527), but the conditions are described as “very good” or “good.” For a clean, small-wave session on a longboard, this is your unsung hero. The water will be clean, and the waves will be weak but lined up.

So, bottom line: Friday the 4th of September is your best bet by a country mile – big, clean, powerful swell with glassy wind. If you miss that, the glassy long-period longboard windows on the 14th and 15th are the sleeper hits. Everything else is a waste of wax.

Rusty.

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