The Boiler Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab a coffee and settle in, this is a long one. Rusty here.

Honestly, looking at the next 16 days, it’s a tough period for The Boiler (reef). The water is sitting at 69°, which is a whopping 8° warmer than normal for this time of year – super unusual. The problem is that while there’s plenty of energy in the water, the wind is just not playing ball. We’re looking at a lot of cross-on and cross-off slop that’s ruining the shape. The first real chance of anything decent doesn’t roll in until Monday morning, the 31st of August. The swell picks up to a clean 7ft from the west, with a moderate 9-second period, and the wind shifts to a cross-off. The combined energy is moderate at 721, but it’s still only a marginal call. The conditions are clean, but it’s not a standout.

The next morning on Tuesday, the 1st of September, the swell drops right back to 3ft with a short period, and the wind goes cross-shore, making it choppy. Not great.

We get a slight bump on Wednesday morning, the 2nd, but it’s a 6ft swell with a short 6-second period and fresh cross-onshore winds – lumpy and messy. Thursday is the same story: strong cross-shore winds and bumpy surf.

Friday morning, the 4th of September, is the first real standout. The swell is 8ft from the west with a 9-second period, and the wind is a cross-off, giving us clean conditions. The energy is strong at 963. This is a good one for the experts, but at 8ft it’s pushing into the big territory, so it’s not for the faint-hearted. It’s likely to be a bit crowded, but for a reef break with that kind of size and clean wind, it’s worth the paddle.

Then we hit a dry patch. From the 5th to the 10th of September, the surf is poor or marginal. The wind is mostly onshore or cross-shore, and the swell is inconsistent and small. There’s a glimmer on Thursday afternoon, the 10th, with a 4ft swell and light wind, but it’s marginal.

The 11th and 12th of September see a massive pulse of energy. On Friday the 11th, the swell is 6ft from the WSW with a very long 12-second period, and the combined energy is a massive 1520 – strong. But the wind is fresh cross-onshore, making it lumpy. The long period means the reef might handle it well, but the wind is a killer. Saturday the 12th is even bigger, with a 10ft swell and a long period, energy hitting 1922, but the wind is a near gale 31 mph cross-shore – it’s going to be a mess. Only for the most experienced.

The final chance is on Sunday morning, the 13th of September. The swell drops to 6ft with a 12-second period, the wind is cross-off, and the energy is strong at 1087. It’s clean and maybe the best of the entire run. It’s a marginal call, but it’s the only one that combines size, clean wind, and a solid period.

So, the bottom line: The best on offer is Friday morning, the 4th of September, with a clean 8ft west swell, and Sunday morning, the 13th of September, with a clean 6ft west-southwest swell. Both are for skilled surfers. The rest is a bit of a write-off. The Boiler is inconsistent and rarely breaks clean, so this blank run is a bit more normal for the area. Forecasts can change, but right now, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

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