The groyne Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you – the next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for a paddle at The Groyne. We’ve got a long, quiet run ahead with barely a wave worth gettin’ wet for.

The water’s sittin’ at about 69°, which is within the normal range for this time of year, so that’s not the problem. The problem is the wind and swell just aren’t lining up.

Starting from Friday the 4th, it’s flat. Tiny 1 ft swell from the east with a weak period of 9 seconds, but with cross-onshore breezes, it’s just wind ripples and no energy (combined energy only 31). Saturday the 5th is even smaller – about 1 ft – and the wind picks up Saturday arvo to 12 mph from the north-northeast, making it choppy. Sunday the 6th sees a little bump: 3 ft to 4 ft from the north-northeast, but the period drops to a shocking 5 seconds. That’s windswell with no shape, combined energy up to 86, but with cross-shore winds, it’s messy.

Monday the 7th and Tuesday the 8th stay poor. Early in the week, we get a bit of swell from the southeast, but it’s accompanied by onshore or cross-onshore winds. Tuesday arvo the swell pushes up to 6 ft from the southeast, period a weak 6 seconds, combined energy hitting 225 – but with fresh 19 mph cross-onshore winds, it’s lumpy, choppy, and no fun.

Wednesday the 9th is the closest we get to a glimmer. Morning sees 4 ft from the southeast, period 10 seconds, combined energy 280, which is moderate. The wind is light cross-shore at 6 mph, so there’s a faint chance of a half-decent wave, but the model calls it marginal at best. That’s the pick of a sorry lot, but I wouldn’t call it a standout.

After that, it’s downhill again. Thursday the 10th brings strong winds – 25 mph from the south-southeast – with 5 ft swell but a 5-second period, making it a wind-blown mess. By Friday the 11th, we see the biggest swell of the run: 7 ft from the southeast, period 7 seconds, combined energy 484 (moderate-strong). That’s too big for beginners and only for experts, but with 16 mph cross-onshore winds, it’s choppy and raw. Not worth the drive for most.

The rest of the second week – from the 12th right through to the 19th of September – is a long, flat spell. Swell drops below 3 ft, periods stay short or get long but weak, and winds are mostly cross-onshore or onshore. Combined energy rarely cracks 100. There’s a tiny bump on the 18th with 1 ft from the southeast and a long 13-second period (groundswell), but combined energy is just 70, and 22 mph winds destroy any potential.

Honestly, mate, this is a blank run. For an exposed reef like The Groyne, having that southeast optimum swell direction is nice on paper, but when the wind is always from the wrong angle or too strong, there’s nothing to ride. It’s the kind of stretch where you’d be better off checking the kite forecast than the surf forecast. Forecasts can change, but right now, don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

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