The Jetty Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s happening down at The Jetty.

Straight up, I’ve got to be honest with you – the next 16 days are looking pretty grim for any decent surf. We’re looking at a long, dry stretch here. For the first week and a half, there’s just nothing doing. The swell is tiny, the periods are short, and the conditions are flat. You’ll be staring at a lake, not a surf break. This is the kind of run that’s more normal for the area when the weather patterns just don’t line up. It’s a proper blank run.

The only real glimmer of hope comes late in the forecast, on Thursday the 17th of September. The afternoon sees a pulse of energy arriving, with a combined energy of 66 (moderate wave energy). The swell is coming from the SE with a very long period of 13 seconds. That’s proper groundswell, which means it’ll have some shape and power, but at a beach-and-sandbar setup like The Jetty, that long period might make it break a bit too straight. Still, with a clean offshore wind from the WNW at 25 km/h, it’ll be the cleanest the place has looked in weeks. Swell is tiny, though, only 0.3m. It’s the lone standout, but it’s a very small window.

That’s about it. The rest of the period is dominated by super weak energy (values in the teens and twenties) and poor surf conditions. A few mornings in the first week have light offshore breezes, but with swell heights of 0.4m or less and periods under 10 seconds, you’re not going to be riding anything. It’s a paddling pool. The water temperature on the first morning is 25°, which is a whopping 3° warmer than normal for this time of year – that’s very unusual, almost like a warm bath, but it won’t matter if there’s nothing to ride.

So, in a nutshell: don’t hold your breath. The 17th is your one and only chance, and even then, it’s for the patient and the optimistic. As always, forecasts can change, but right now, it’s a tough watch.

Rusty.

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