The Inlet and Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a good honest look at what's coming up for The Inlet and Pier. Gotta be straight with you – the next week and a half is pretty grim.

We've got tiny little dribbles of swell from the ESE for days, barely pushing 1.0 ft. The water is sitting at 79°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but that's about the only nice thing I can say. The combined energy is down in the weak zone at (39) on Monday afternoon, and it just gets worse. Tuesday through to the end of August is all small stuff, mixed wind directions, and a lot of "poor surf conditions" stamped on it. There's a long stretch here where there is simply no surf worth paddling out for.

Around the 31st of August, we get a little tease with an 18-second period wave, but it's only 0.7 ft. That's a whisper of a groundswell but with no height, it's just a flat line. Combined energy still weak at (42). That pattern of weak, small swell continues right through the first couple of days of September. The wind switches around a bit, giving us some clean moments, but there's just no power behind it.

Then, on the 3rd of September, things change. Suddenly the swell jumps to 7 ft from the E, and the combined energy ramps up to (615) Thursday morning. By Thursday afternoon, we're looking at 8 ft from the ENE with energy hitting (986). That's a solid pulse of moderate to strong energy. But hold on – the period is a short 7 to 8 seconds, so it's a wind swell, not a clean groundswell. And the winds Thursday morning are cross-on from the NNE, making it fairly choppy. Thursday afternoon has the wind turning onshore from the E, which isn't ideal. This is going to be a messy, dumping close-out for most, and with size over 7 ft, it's expert-only territory.

Friday the 4th of September stays big, with 7 ft from the ENE in the morning, but a strong N wind at 22 mph cross-shore will make it lumpy. The afternoon cleans up a little with a cross-off wind from the NNW at 19 mph, so that's your best chance for the bigger stuff – a cleaner look at a 7 ft ENE swell. It's still short period at 8 seconds, and The Inlet and Pier is a beach/jetty setup, so the short-period wind swell will break quickly and won't have much shape. A big powerful wave, but not one for the log or a learner.

Saturday the 5th of September holds around 6 ft to 6 ft from the E with cross-off winds from the NNW. Combined energy stays strong in the moderate-high range (597-659). Still short-period (8-9 seconds), so expect punchy, fast-breaking waves. This remains expert-level.

By Sunday the 6th, the swell drops to 4 ft from the E, with energy down to (261). The morning has clean cross-off winds from the N – this is probably the most user-friendly window of the whole run. Still short period, but at 4 ft it's more accessible for intermediate surfers.

Monday the 7th of September, the swell is down to 3 ft with a glassy morning – winds flat calm (0 mph) from the SE. Combined energy at (197) is light, but that glassy surface will make what little wave there is look pretty. The afternoon gets a cross-on wind, spoiling it.

From Tuesday the 8th onward, it drops back into the doldrums with tiny, weak surf and onshore winds. No standouts there.

The standout in this run is undeniably the 3rd to the 5th of September. If you're an expert with a step-up board and a willingness to battle a short-period, powerful wind swell, then Friday afternoon the 4th of September is the pick of the week: 7 ft from the ENE with a clean cross-off wind. It's going to be big, fast, and not for the faint-hearted. The crowds? The Inlet and Pier is listed as "often" crowded, and when a rare pulse like this shows up, you can expect the line-up to be busy with the usual suspects.

Second best is Saturday the 5th of September, with similar size but slightly smaller, and still clean cross-off winds. For anyone who isn't a hard charger, wait for Sunday the 6th or Monday the 7th when the size drops to a more manageable 4 ft to 3 ft and the winds are clean or glassy.

Tough run of small surf before that, but when it comes, it comes with a bit of bark. Keep your eyes on the forecast, because long-range calls like this big pulse early September are promising but less certain – we'll know more as we get closer.

Rusty.

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