The Breakwater-St Ives Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, it’s Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for The Breakwater-St Ives. We’ve got a 16-day window ahead, but honestly, the first week is a bit of a tough one to sit through. The pattern is dominated by a lot of cross-off and cross-onshore wind, periods of less than 10 seconds, and a lot of "poor surf conditions" flags. Not the kind of start that gets the heart pumping.

Things get going on the morning of Tuesday, September 1st, with a clean 4 ft W swell at 9 seconds, but it's cross-off at 15 km/h and the combined energy is only moderate at 203, so it’s not the best. The water is sitting at 63°, which is about average for the time of year. Through the rest of that first week, we see the swell bump up – Wednesday afternoon hits 6 ft (WSW) and a combined energy of 438 – but the wind is howling from the WSW at 30 km/h, and it’s a cross-off, so while it’s clean, the conditions are just not playing ball. The whole period from Tuesday to Saturday is a real grind, with poor surf conditions and marginal scores.

The first real glimmer of hope comes on Saturday, September 5th. The afternoon shapes up with a glassy, 4 ft W swell, 10-second period, and a combined energy of 247. The wind goes dead calm – zero km/h – and it’s glassy. The water is still clean, and while the waves are ordinary, that’s the best we’ll get for a few days. But it’s not a standout.

Then, hold on to your boards. Monday, September 7th, is when things get interesting. The morning brings a 7 ft W swell with a 12-second period – that’s a proper groundswell, with long, powerful lines. The combined energy is a massive 1119, so you can feel the energy in the water. The wind is cross-off from the WSW at 20 km/h, keeping it clean, and the break is a point, so it’ll handle that long period without breaking too straight. The quality is borderline, but that’s a lot of energy. This is the standout. If you’re an intermediate, be cautious – 7 ft is getting big, but for anyone with experience, the morning of Monday the 7th is the one to paddle out for.

Tuesday, September 8th, is even bigger, with a 10 ft W swell, but the wind is a fresh cross-shore from the W at 30 km/h, making it lumpy and cross-chop. That’s expert territory, and the crowd at The Breakwater-St Ives can be a factor sometimes, so be ready for a battle. The combined energy is 1729, which is very strong.

After that, the swell drops off hard. From Wednesday, September 9th, through to the end of the outlook, we’re looking at a lot of 2 ft to 3 ft W swell with poor wind or onshore conditions. The window from Saturday, September 12th, to Sunday, September 13th, is a total flat spell with no recommendations. The energy is barely above 50 on those days. The best of the rest is on Tuesday, September 15th, with a 6 ft W swell at 10 seconds and clean cross-off wind, but it’s a week and a half away, so treat it as promising but not locked in. The morning of Wednesday, September 16th, has a glassy 3 ft swell, but it’s small.

Overall, the standout is the morning of Monday, September 7th, with that 7 ft, 12-second W groundswell and clean cross-off wind. It’s the one to aim for.

Rusty.

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