The Inlet and Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what we’ve got coming down the line for The Inlet and Pier. I gotta be straight with you – this one’s a tough stretch. The whole 16-day window looks pretty grim, and there’s no real standout session to get excited about. The swell is small to mediocre, and the wind is almost always working against us. We’re talking about a beach/jetty setup that’s exposed to the swell, and for the first week or so, the wave energy is weak to moderate at best. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing unusual there.

We kick off Sunday the 13th with a tiny 1 ft SE swell, period of 10 seconds, but the wind is offshore from the WNW early – clean, but barely a ripple of energy (48). By the afternoon it’s cross-on and even smaller. Not worth paddling out.

Monday the 14th bumps up a little to 3 ft from the north, but with a pathetic 4-second period and a fresh cross-shore wind making a mess of things. That’s more of a windswell chop than anything rideable.

Tuesday the 15th brings 3 ft from the ENE, onshore wind again, period around 6–7 seconds. No quality there.

Wednesday the 16th sees a tiny increase in energy (115) as the swell holds around 3 ft from the east, period stretching to 8 seconds, but wind is cross-on or onshore. Still poor.

Thursday the 17th and Friday the 18th are more of the same – small, weak, wind-affected. Clean early on Friday morning with a light cross-offshore, but the swell is only 2 ft.

Saturday the 19th is a joke – 0.7 ft from the ESE with a long 12-second period, but cross-on wind and barely any energy (20). That’s not surf, that’s a lake.

Now, into the second week, the swell actually starts to build. Sunday the 20th sees 4–4 ft from the NE, but the period is short (6 seconds) and the wind is fresh and cross-on. Energy ticks up to 110 but conditions are lumpy and poor.

Monday the 21st gets a bit more size – 4 ft in the morning, 5 ft in the afternoon – period lengthening to 7–8 seconds, energy climbing to 286. But the wind is strong cross-onshore and messy. Still no good.

Tuesday the 22nd pushes up to 6 ft from the east, period 9 seconds, energy hitting 442–476. That’s moderate wave energy and the biggest we see, but with strong cross-onshore wind, it’s going to be a washing machine. This is more of a kite-surfing setup than a clean paddle session.

Wednesday the 23rd is the peak in terms of energy – 5–6 ft from the east, period 10 seconds, combined energy up to 1038 in the afternoon. That’s a strong pulse of energy for the area. But again, wind is cross or cross-onshore from the NNE at 22 mph, making it lumpy and messy. If you’re an expert and desperate, maybe you find a wave, but for most of us, it’s a pass.

From Thursday the 24th onward, the swell slowly fades back to 4 ft and smaller, period holds at 10–11 seconds, but the wind stays cross-onshore or onshore. By Saturday the 26th, wind is near gale force from the NE at 34–37 mph, and the surf is blown out and tiny.

So to wrap it up: there are no good surf options in this 16-day window. The only time the swell gets any real size and energy is around the 22nd and 23rd of September, but the wind ruins it. It’s a long, frustrating stretch. Forecasts can change, but right now, I’d leave the board at home.

Rusty.

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