Sunset Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get real about Sunset Beach for the next couple of weeks. I’m not gonna sugarcoat it—this stretch is looking pretty flat and unfriendly for paddle surfing. The swell is tiny and the wind is mostly cross-onshore or onshore, which is a tough combo. The water is sitting at 72°F, which is a massive 5°F warmer than normal for this time of year—that’s very unusual, and honestly, it feels like bathwater out there.

The first real chance to get wet is Wednesday morning, August 26th. We’ve got a south swell pushing 4ft with a 12-second period, but the energy is moderate (717). The problem is the wind is cross-onshore from the SSW at 6 mph, so it’s not clean. It’s marginal at best. The afternoon gets worse—wind picks up to 9 mph and the quality drops off completely. Thursday morning, August 27th, is similar: 3ft south swell, 12-second period, energy drops to 518, but again that onshore wind messes it up. Friday morning, August 28th, the swell is down to 2ft, period is a very long 17 seconds, but it’s coming from the SSW with onshore wind. Long period swells like that can be tricky on a beach break like Sunset—tends to break too straight, not much shape.

The whole first week is a grind. Saturday morning, August 29th, has a 3ft SSW swell with a 17-second period and energy at 641, but the wind is still cross-onshore. The afternoon gets a moderate breeze at 12 mph, making it choppy. Sunday through Tuesday is all poor surf conditions—swell stays under 3ft, wind rarely cooperates.

There’s a slight uptick around Thursday, September 3rd. Morning brings 5ft from the SSW at 13 seconds, energy is decent (916), and the wind is light cross-onshore from the west at 6 mph. This is the best looking window in the whole forecast, but it’s still marginal. The afternoon is similar with lighter wind. For a beginner, 5ft is starting to push beyond comfortable, but it’s not huge.

Friday, September 4th, is back to 3ft with a very long 17-second period, but onshore wind keeps it from being any good. After that, it’s essentially flat through to September 10th. Swell drops to 2ft to 3ft, periods are long but the wind is either onshore or cross-onshore, and the energy is weak (around 300-400). The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, honestly.

If I had to call a standout, it’s Thursday morning, September 3rd—that’s the only time the swell pushes above 5ft and the energy is moderate. But even then, it’s not clean. Crowds are possible at Sunset Beach, but with this kind of surf, it’ll be quiet. For the rest of the 16 days, it’s a long stretch of poor to marginal conditions.

Rusty

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