The Inlet and Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, and I'm looking at the charts for the next couple of weeks. To be straight with you, it's a pretty grim spell we're looking at. The Inlet and Pier is the only game in town, and we're going to be staring at a whole lot of small, weak, and generally messy conditions.

The water temperature is sitting right around what you'd expect for this time of year, so at least you won't get a shock paddling out.

We kick off on Thursday 27th August with a tiny 2 ft swell out of the east, with a short period and low energy (48). The wind is a cross-shore, leaving it a bit choppy. Not worth the paddle. Friday 28th, the swell is still a pathetic 2 ft, but the wind goes glassy in the morning. Still, the energy is so low (42) it's barely a ripple. You could get a fun little knee-high wave if you time it right, but it wouldn't last.

The whole weekend, from the 29th all the way through to the 1st of September, is a write-off. Tiny swells, mostly 1 ft to 0.7 ft, and onshore winds. The energy is in the teens and single digits. It's flat, plain and simple. The wind goes clean offshore on the 1st, but the swell is a measly 0.7 ft to 1 ft, so there's nothing to push. It's a wasted opportunity.

Now, here's a glimmer, but it's a weird one. On Wednesday 2nd September, we finally see a bit of life. Swell jumps to 2 ft to 2 ft, but it's a long-period groundswell from the southeast, with a period of 11 seconds. The energy comes up to moderate levels (122–209), and the wind is clean offshore. The Inlet and Pier is a beach/jetty setup, and a long-period swell like this can sometimes break too straight and fat on a beach, but with the swell being so small, it might just offer a few clean, workable lines. It's a bit of a gamble, but it's the best we've got.

Then it all goes wrong again. From Thursday 3rd September, we get a bit of a swell pulse, but it's all wrong. The wind is onshore or cross-onshore and howling (19 mph), and the swell is a short-period, wind-affected mess. Energy gets up to 298 on the 4th, but with 19 mph onshore winds, it's going to be a choppy, lumpy, blown-out shambles. This is more kite-surfing territory than quality surfing. The swell is pushing 5 ft on the 3rd, but it's a windswell with a 6-second period, and it's just a mess.

The last few days of the forecast, from the 7th to the 11th, we're back to tiny swells and poor conditions. The wind goes clean offshore again on the 11th, but the swell is only 1 ft, so it's a non-event.

Honestly, if you're desperate, the Wednesday 2nd September morning is your best and only call. It's a gamble, but it's the only chance of a clean, surfable wave. Other than that, save your energy and wax. The next two weeks are a dud.

Rusty.

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