Suicide Cliffs Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Suicide Cliffs.

First thing you gotta know: this is a reef break, exposed to the swell, and it’s very consistent. But don’t get too excited just yet. The water’s sitting at 87°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – you’ll feel that extra bit of warmth when you’re sitting out there.

Now, the outlook starts off real rough. Friday the 7th and Saturday the 8th are hammered by massive, dangerous swell. We’re talking 15ft to 28ft of NW to SW swell, with howling gale-force winds. The wave energy is insane – between 3120 and 19986 – but it’s way too big and blown out for any sane paddle surfer. Honestly, this is kite-surfing territory, not for a regular crew. The wind is onshore and howling for most of it, with storm risks. Don’t even think about it.

Sunday the 9th and Monday the 10th are still no good. The swell drops to 16ft and 13ft, but the wind stays onshore or cross-onshore, and the wave energy is still dangerously high (8311 to 6472). The surf is poor and blown out. Tuesday the 11th is still a write-off with 8ft and 8ft swells and fresh cross-onshore winds.

Then we get a small window. Wednesday the 12th morning is marginal – 6ft SW swell, cross-shore wind, moderate energy (874). The afternoon cleans up a bit with a cross-offshore breeze, dropping to 5ft, and the energy drops to 744. It’s still not great, but it’s the first real chance to get wet without being battered. Thursday the 13th is similar: 5ft to 5ft SW swell, cross-offshore winds, energy around 563 to 451. Clean, but small. This is the best on offer in the first week, but it’s only a marginal session.

From Friday the 14th all the way through to Saturday the 22nd, it’s a long stretch of poor to marginal surf. The swell drops below 6ft, and while the winds are light to moderate, they’re mostly cross-shore or cross-onshore, making it choppy and lumpy. The wave energy falls off a cliff – from 464 down to 98. The 9-second period on the SW swell is short, so the waves will be weak and crumbly. There’s a couple of clean mornings on the 17th and 18th with 4ft to 3ft and cross-offshore breezes, but the energy is a paltry 178 to 116. That’s a flat spell, plain and simple.

So, the standout here is really the small window on Wednesday the 12th afternoon and Thursday the 13th. It’s the cleanest, most manageable surf of the entire 16 days. The swell is a modest 5ft from the SW, period is 10 seconds, so it’s a little soft but rideable. The cross-offshore wind will keep the faces clean. It’s not a classic Suicide Cliffs session, but it’s the only one that’s paddleable. Crowds are possible here, so keep an eye out.

The rest of the outlook is a long, flat gap from the 14th through to the 22nd. Very poor run, especially for a break that’s usually so consistent. It happens sometimes.

Rusty.

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