The Inlet and Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you: the next couple of weeks at The Inlet and Pier are a bit of a waiting game. We’re staring down a long, flat patch before things finally wake up. The only spot on the radar is The Inlet and Pier, and it’s going to take a while before it’s worth paddling out.

Right now, and for the first few days, there’s barely a ripple. Monday the 24th has nothing on offer– flat, clean, but useless. The water’s sitting at 78.6°, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year, but that’s about all the excitement we’re getting. Tuesday and Wednesday are just as dead, with tiny 0.7ft to 1.3ft slop and no push. Thursday the 27th brings a little bump of 3ft, but it’s short-period windswell at 5 seconds, and with the onshore cross wind, it’s messy and not worth your time.

The tail end of this first week and into the weekend is a grind. Friday morning offers a glimmer– 1.3ft with clean, cross-offshore winds– but it’s just too small. Saturday’s similar, and Sunday gets crossed up with a bit of breeze. It’s not until Monday the 31st that we see a real shift in the energy, but even then, the swell is only 1.3ft. The pick-up is the period jumping to 19 seconds, a true groundswell, and with offshore winds it’s clean, but there’s simply not enough size. The combined energy starts to climb a touch (126) but it’s still weak.

Finally, things get interesting as we move into the second week. Tuesday the 1st of September sees the swell build slightly to 2.3ft with a 15 second period from the ESE, and the energy jumps to a moderate 212. The morning looks glassy with a light cross-offshore breeze– that’s our first proper surfable window, and it will be worth a look if you’re desperate. But the real standout is shaping up for Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th. We’ve got a bigger, longer-period swell moving in. Thursday afternoon sees 5.6ft of ESE swell at 15 seconds, the energy jumping to a strong 2429. It’s getting solid. Friday morning brings a clean 5.2ft with 14 second period and solid offshore winds from the WNW, with the combined energy at a strong 1045. This is the best on offer. This is a proper groundswell, and at this size, it’s going to be more for the experienced crew. The long period might make it a bit lined up at a beach/jetty set-up, but with the offshore wind, it should hold some shape.

After that, it fades quickly. Saturday the 5th has a 3.3ft leftover, but it’s dropping. By Sunday and into the following week, we’re back down to 2ft and below, and the energy fades out. The second week is definitely the one to focus on, but remember that long-range stuff can shift. That Thursday/Friday window is promising, but don’t book the time off just yet.

So, the big takeaway: don't fight the flat spells. The tides will turn, and that window on the 3rd and 4th looks like the one. Keep an eye on it.

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