The Breakwater-St Ives Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's take a look at what's on the cards for the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, but there are a few sessions to keep an eye on.

The Breakwater-St Ives (point) is the only break on the radar. Right now, it’s pretty grim. We’ve got a long stretch of poor conditions with strong onshore winds and lumpy, choppy waves. The water is sitting at 63°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. For the first four days, from Monday the 14th right through to Thursday the 17th, the wind is a mess and the swell is wind-affected, so forget about it. Then on Friday the 18th, things start to change. We’ve got a 7 ft groundswell from the WNW, with a very long period of 13 seconds, and the wind is finally clean. The combined wave energy is huge (1436), so it’s got serious power. But, the script says "marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions," so while the potential is there, you’ll need to read the tides right. It’s a standout for the first week simply because everything before it was garbage, but it’s not a total slam dunk.

Saturday the 19th and Sunday the 20th are cleaner but the swell drops off to 5-6 ft, with moderate energy (around 460-660). Still solid, but more of a longboard or fun-grinder wave.

Now, here’s the real gem. Monday the 21st of September looks absolutely stunning. The swell is only 3-4 ft from the WNW, but the period is a long 12-13 seconds, and the wind is glass – zero knots, flat calm. That is a rare treat. The combined energy is moderate (301-425), so it won't be pumping, but it will be perfect, clean lines. This is the best on offer for the whole outlook. If you can get out that morning, do it. Tuesday the 22nd is also very good with glassy conditions and light winds, so that’s worth a look too.

After that, things get poor again. The 23rd and 24th see cross-onshore winds and the swell drops off a cliff into flatness, with very low energy (80-158). The 25th has a weird long-period 14 second swell but strong cross-offshore winds, which might create clean but tricky conditions. The 26th, 27th, and 28th are all blown out or too small.

Then, looking ahead to Tuesday the 29th of September, there’s another promising swell on the way. A 5 ft groundswell from the WNW with a 12 second period and light offshore winds. Combined energy is 686, which is solid. It’s rated "expect very good surf conditions" for the morning, so that’s a long-range standout to pencil in, but you know how it is with forecasts two weeks out – promising but not locked in.

In short: the first week is a write-off until Friday the 18th, but that Monday the 21st is the day to circle. Tuesday the 22nd is also a beauty. The end of the month is looking good for the 29th. The break is inconsistent, so when it fires, make the most of it.

- Rusty

Read more