The Harbour Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, and I’ve gotta be straight with you – this is a tough one. The Harbour is the only spot on the radar for the entire 16-day window, and honestly, it’s a pretty grim run. No standouts, no real swell, and most of the time the conditions are just rubbish. If you’re desperate for a paddle, there’s a tiny window of hope, but otherwise, this is a solid stretch of flat or messy water.

We kick off on Thursday, September 3rd, with a bare 2ft from the S, but it’s a weak, short-period 5-second windswell with combined energy of only 25 – barely a ripple. The water is 57°, which is about normal for this time of year, so nothing weird there. The wind is a cross-off from the W, but the wave comment says “poor surf conditions,” so I wouldn’t bother. Friday the 4th is a complete write-off with zero swell and howling 35 km/h winds. Saturday the 5th offers a tiny 1ft from the SW, but it’s still poor. The afternoon goes glassy with a 0.7ft, 4-second slop, but it’s too small to ride.

Sunday the 6th and Monday the 7th morning are the only flicker of life. On Monday morning, a 5ft SE swell rolls in, period is 7 seconds, and the combined energy climbs to 193 – moderate wave energy. The wind is a clean offshore from the SW, so it’ll be tidy. The wave comment says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” so it’s not exactly pumping. Still, if you’re keen, that’s your best window. The Harbour is a beach/groyne setup, so with that 5ft and a decent offshore, it might offer a few lined-up waves, but don’t expect perfection. The swell direction is SE, which is close to the optimum SE, so that’s a plus. Crowds are listed as “sometimes,” so you might have some company, but not a zoo.

After Monday afternoon, it’s back to nothing. The swell disappears, the wind jumps around, and we get a long gap of several days with zero recommendations. Tuesday the 8th through Thursday the 10th are all zeros or tiny, messy slop. Friday the 11th has a 1ft SSE swell, but it’s weak and the wind is cross-off – still poor. The whole second week, from September 12th to the 18th, is a desert. There’s a fleeting moment on Tuesday the 15th afternoon when it goes glassy with a 1ft SSW swell, but combined energy is only 6 – it’s a lake. Wednesday the 16th has a 2ft NW swell with a 4-second period, but the energy is just 13, and it’s clean, but honestly, it’s not worth suiting up for.

To sum it up: Monday morning, September 7th, is the only real option. Everything else is a skip. The Harbour gets a 5ft SE swell, clean offshore wind, and moderate energy, but it’s not a classic. For the rest of the 16 days, you’re better off doing something else. Forecasts can change, but right now, this is a flat spell.

Stay patient,
Rusty

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