Strand (Pipe) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here again. Let's break it down in feet and miles. The next 16 days at Strand (Pipe) are mostly a struggle, with one killer window. It's a beach and reef setup, and the water is sitting at 58°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year.

The first few days are no good. From Tuesday the 1st to Friday the 4th, you've got swell from 6ft to 8ft from the SSW and SSE, but the wind is all over the place – cross-onshore and cross-offshore – making it a chop fest. The combined energy is moderate to strong (between 921 and 1722), but it's just ugly. Thursday the 3rd has rain and 22 mph winds – skip it. By Friday the 4th, the wind is blowing 28 mph, and the surf is poor.

Saturday the 5th brings a fresh offshore breeze from the ESE, cleaning it up a bit. Swell drops to 5ft to 7ft from the SE, but the period is a short 7 seconds, so it's weak and gutless. Energy is low (331 to 516). It's surfable, but barely.

But here's the real deal. Sunday the 6th is the standout. The morning serves up a 5ft SSW groundswell with a massive 19-second period and a moderate offshore breeze. The afternoon is even better – glassy, offshore winds dropping to 9 mph. The combined energy is strong (1698 and 1397). This is pure groundswell, perfect for a reef like Strand (Pipe). The long period means real shape, real power, and long lulls between sets. This is for experienced surfers only – that swell is solid.

Monday the 7th is your next best bet. The morning is dead glassy – zero wind – with a clean 5ft south swell, period a solid 13 seconds. The energy is moderate (817). It's a beautiful morning session, but the afternoon gets crossed up.

After that, you're looking at a brutal flat spell. From Tuesday the 8th all the way through Saturday the 12th, the swell vanishes. We're talking 1ft to 3ft of junk with hardly any energy (89 to 229). It's a total blank. Don't even think about it.

There's a tiny pulse on the 10th of September with a 4ft SW groundswell (15 seconds) and glassy conditions, but it's weak.

Later on, Monday the 14th and Tuesday the 15th see a pulse of 6ft to 6ft SSE swell, but the period is short (8 to 9 seconds) and the wind is cross or onshore. The energy is moderate, but the quality is poor. A long-range look at Wednesday the 16th shows a 4ft SSW swell with a 14-second period, but onshore wind ruins it.

To be honest, the only thing worth paddling out for is that Sunday the 6th and Monday the 7th morning. The rest is a washout. That groundswell with the glassy conditions is the only highlight.

Rusty.

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