Suicide Cliffs Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – this 16-day stretch for Suicide Cliffs is a tough one. We’re looking at a long, flat spell for the most part, with a massive pulse of energy right at the very end that’s ruined by nasty wind. The start is a total washout, and honestly, there’s not one session I’d get excited about for a paddle.

The first real flicker of swell doesn’t show until Friday the 18th of September, with a tiny 1 ft S swell pushing in, but it’s short-period (8 seconds) and the combined wave energy is a weak 22. Cross-off winds from the ENE will keep things clean, but with that size, you’re barely getting a knee-high ripple. Saturday morning the 19th sees a slight bump to 2 ft from the south with light offshore N winds (10 km/h), offering the cleanest little wave of this whole dry period, but it’s still weak soup (34 energy). After that, it’s back to tiny bits of S swell or flatness.

From the 22nd right through to the morning of the 28th of September, it’s almost totally flat. There’s a glassy day on the 23rd with a 1 ft SE swell, but that’s it. This is a proper dead run.

Now, Monday the 28th of September is where things get interesting, but not for us. A massive WNW groundswell hits, 16 ft in the morning (13 ft in the arvo) with a period of 10 seconds and a combined energy reading of 4821 – that’s a serious, powerful, solid ocean. The problem? It’s accompanied by a strong onshore E wind at 22 mph, making it a cross-shore mess. For a reef break, this is just dangerous and blown out. Tuesday the 29th still has size (6 ft to 6 ft) but with the same cross/cross-on wind, the quality is shot. This setup would be more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

In short, nothing worth paddling out for. The water temp sits around 84° on the 16th, which is about normal for the time of year, but you won’t feel it on a flat board. That last swell is a monster, but it’s completely unsurfable for us. Hang tight.

Rusty.

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