The Jetty Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for The Jetty. It’s a sandbar break, fairly exposed to the south-east, and it’s a beginner-friendly spot. Honestly, looking at the whole 16-day window, we’re in for a bit of a flat spell. The water’s sitting at 77°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – a couple of degrees above average, so you’ll be comfortable in a shorty or just boardies.

The first few days are a write-off. From Monday the 31st of August right through to Wednesday the 2nd of September, we’ve got tiny, messy, cross-shore wind slop. Swell heights are barely 1.0ft to 3ft, with a weak combined energy (14 to 131), and the winds are all over the shop. It’s poor conditions, plain and simple.

Thursday the 3rd of September morning shows a little glimmer of hope. The swell is a tiny 3ft from the ESE, but the wind is a clean cross-offshore from the WSW. The combined energy is only 75, so it’s weak, but the conditions are clean. It’s surfable, but very ordinary – you’d be scratching for anything rideable.

The rest of the first week and into the second week is a continuation of the same story. Friday the 4th has offshore winds but a 1ft swell, and Saturday the 5th is even smaller. The swell picks up a touch on Sunday the 6th of September, hitting 4ft from the east in the afternoon, but the wind turns onshore and choppy, spoiling it. The energy is moderate at 176, but the quality just isn’t there.

Monday the 7th of September morning is clean again with a cross-offshore wind, but the swell is only 2ft from the east. It’s another “surfable but very ordinary” day. From there, it’s back to small, weak, and often windy conditions. The best of a bad bunch might be the morning of Wednesday the 9th of September, when we get a 1ft SE swell with a 12-second period. That’s a long-period groundswell, which is a bit of a tease for a sandbar – it might break a bit too straight. But with light winds and clean conditions, it’s the most interesting wave of the whole forecast. The energy is still weak at 81, though.

The end of the period, around Saturday the 12th of September, shows a 3ft swell from the south with fresh offshore winds from the NW. That’s clean, but the period is a short 6 seconds, so it’ll be weak and crumbly. The energy is moderate at 81, but it’s not going to be a standout.

Truth is, there’s no real standout session here. The best bet is probably the morning of the 9th of September for the cleanest, glassiest conditions, even if the waves are tiny. For a beginner, it’s a safe bet on a foamie if you’re desperate for a paddle. For anyone else, it’s a waiting game. The lack of consistent swell and the frequent onshore winds mean this is a typical blank run for a sandbar setup like this. Forecasts can change, though, so keep an eye on it.

Rusty.

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