Suicide Cliffs Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let me get this straight. The finder file is telling me there’s only one break in the mix for the whole 16-day period, and it’s Suicide Cliffs. That’s a reef setup, exposed to SW swell, and it’s very consistent. But looking at the numbers, it’s a pretty grim stretch. The first few days are a write-off, with strong winds and big, messy swell. We’re looking at a long gap before anything even approaches surfable.

From Tuesday 25 August right through to the morning of Friday 4 September, the conditions are just plain poor. The combined wave energy is either weak or moderate at best, but the wind is the real killer. We’ve got strong onshore, cross-onshore, and even near gale to gale force winds for many of those days. There’s a big pulse of energy on the 26th, with a 10 to 12ft WSW swell, but the period is short at 8 seconds, and the wind is a solid cross-onshore. That’s blown out, messy, and only for the hardcore. The combined energy on Wednesday afternoon is a massive 1830 (moderate to strong), but it’s a total loss. Then on Thursday 27 August, the swell jumps to 13ft from the WSW with a 12-second period—that’s serious groundswell, but it’s straight onshore at 22 mph. That’s a washing machine, not a wave. The combined energy that afternoon hits 3799 (strong to very strong), but it’s useless for a paddle. Honestly, that setup looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a regular surfer.

The only flicker of hope comes on Saturday 29 August with an 8ft SE swell, but the period is a short 7 to 8 seconds. The combined energy is 1515 (strong), but it’s a cross-shore wind from the E at 16 mph. The score is a 1, which is marginal. It’s just not clean. That’s the best we’ve got until the following week.

From Sunday 30 August, the swell drops right off, going under 3ft, and the wind finally turns cross-offshore. But the energy is weak—under 500—and the wave heights are tiny. It’s clean, but there’s no power. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The real standout, and I mean the *only* standout, comes much later. Look at the 6th of September. Sunday morning, a 3ft swell from the SW with an 11-second period, so that’s a long-period groundswell. The combined energy is 236 (weak), but it’s not about the size. The wind is offshore from the N at 16 mph. That’s a fresh offshore breeze, and the report says “moderate offshore and clean.” For Suicide Cliffs, a reef break, a long-period SW swell with clean offshore wind is the recipe. The period is over 11 seconds, so it’ll have good shape and energy, but it might break a bit straight at the beach. At a reef, it’ll be better. It’s scored a 1, which is marginal, but this is the best we’ve got. Crowds are “often” here, so expect a few people out. For a reef break, 3ft is small, but with that period and wind, it’ll be fun. The following Monday morning (7 September) is similar, with a 3ft S swell and offshore NNW wind. That’s also a decent option.

So, the long and short of it: there’s a dry spell of about 10 days with nothing worth paddling for. The one real chance is the 6th and 7th of September. It’s a long way out, so don’t bank on it, but for Suicide Cliffs, a clean, offshore morning with a long-period groundswell is as good as it gets in this window. The rest is a blown-out, messy write-off.

Rusty.

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