The Jetty Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s have a look at what The Jetty’s got cookin’ for the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with ya – the first week and a half is a tough slog. We’ve got a run of poor surf conditions stretchin’ from Sunday the 13th right through to Friday the 25th of September. That’s nearly two weeks of flat, messy, or blown-out junk. The swell’s tiny, mostly under 3 ft, and when there is a bit of push the wind’s usually wrong – cross-on or howlin’ cross-shore. Not a single recommendation in that whole stretch. You’d be better off waxin’ your board and just starin’ at it.

Finally, things start to turn around on Saturday the 26th. The Jetty wakes up with surfable waves – still very ordinary, but at least we’ve got clean conditions. Saturday morning sees light offshore breezes from the WNW at 6 mph, with a little 2 ft swell from the ESE at 9 seconds. The combined energy is weak at 74, but it’s clean. By the afternoon, that south-east swell bumps up to 3 ft, period stays around 9 seconds, and the energy climbs to 135 – moderate but nothing to write home about. Wind stays light offshore. Not a standout, but it’s a start.

Sunday the 27th is the real gem here. That’s the pick of the entire forecast. The Jetty gets clean glassy conditions with a light WNW breeze at 6 mph in the morning, swingin’ to a gentle offshore from the west in the arvo. The swell holds at 3 ft from the ESE, but the period stretches to 10–11 seconds – that’s groundswell territory, meaning better shaped waves with more push. The energy jumps to 223 by Sunday afternoon, a solid moderate energy. For a sandbar that’s fairly exposed to that SE swell direction and best with offshore from the NW, this is about as good as it gets in this run. The water’s warm too – 77°F, which is 6°F above normal for this time of year. That’s very unusual, so you’ll be comfortable in a spring suit or even boardies.

Monday the 28th sees a drop-off again. The wind swings around to a moderate cross-shore from the NE at 16 mph, turning things lumpy. Swell’s still around 3 ft but with a long 12-second period, which is nice for points and reefs – but The Jetty’s a sandbar, and long-period swells can break a bit straight here. Energy’s still moderate at 199, but the chop makes it a tough paddle. Crowds are possible here – it’s a beginner-friendly spot that gets busy sometimes.

So overall, if you’re chasin’ a wave, keep your eyes on Sunday the 27th. That’s your window for clean, glassy, groundswell fun at The Jetty. The rest of the fortnight is mostly a write-off. Hang in there, mate – forecasts can change, but this one’s lookin’ lean.

– Rusty

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