The Breakwater-St Ives Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's cookin' for The Breakwater-St Ives.

Straight up, it’s a bit of a grim picture for the next couple of weeks. We’ve got a long dry spell ahead. The first real chance of anything even worth paddling out for doesn’t show up until Saturday the 19th of September, and even that’s just barely surfable. From now until then, it’s basically flat or blown out. That’s a solid ten days of staring at a lake. Not ideal.

For the one and only break on the cards, The Breakwater-St Ives is a point break that's fairly exposed, and it wants a swell from the NW to really line up. It’s an inconsistent spot anyway, so this kind of blank run isn't too unusual for the area.

Let’s run through what little we’ve got. Monday the 7th of September sees some swell roll in – about 7ft from the west with a 12-second period. There’s a ton of energy in the water (1224), but a strong cross-offshore wind from the WSW at 16 mph is going to make a mess of it. It’s also a touch warmer than usual in the water at 64°F, but that won’t matter if the waves are junk.

From Tuesday the 8th right through to Friday the 18th, it's a wasteland. Wind is either onshore, cross-on, or just too strong, and the swell is either tiny or non-existent. The combined energy numbers drop way down, hitting double digits like 29 or 37. Not worth your time.

Then, finally, on Saturday the 19th of September, we get a little glimmer. A small 3ft westerly swell, and the wind finally goes offshore from the SSW at 9 mph. It's glassy and clean, with gentle offshore conditions. It’s surfable, but only just. The period is a short 7 seconds, so it won't have much shape or power. The combined energy is only 100, so it’s weak. It’s the best on offer, but it’s a major “don’t get your hopes up” call. For total beginners, 3ft is fine, but the quality is low.

The following day, Sunday the 20th, the swell kicks back up to 5ft in the morning and 6ft in the afternoon from the west, with a 12-second period. That’s a lot more energy (794 in the arvo), but the wind swings cross-shore from the WNW, so it’ll be messy. That afternoon session is marginal at best – strong enough but lumpy.

After that, Monday the 21st and Tuesday the 22nd are back to being poor with strong cross-offshore winds or cross-shore chop.

So, the one to watch is that small, clean window on Saturday the 19th. It’s the only time the wind plays nice. For the rest, save your wax.

Rusty.

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