The Pass Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for The Pass over the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a slow burn to be honest. The first few days are pretty average, with nothing worth getting excited about until we get into the second week. We’ve got a bit of a gap to sit through before the real action shows up.

Right now, through the end of August and into the start of September, it’s all pretty lackluster. There’s a bit of knee-to-waist high stuff around on the 30th and 31st, but the wind is a messy cross-off, and the swell is coming from the wrong direction for this spot – it’s mostly out of the SSE when The Pass really wants ENE. The water temp is sitting at 69°, which is pretty standard for this time of year, nothing wild there.

The first real hint of something better doesn’t show until the morning of Tuesday the 3rd of September, and even then it’s tiny. We’re looking at a long, quiet stretch through the first week of September with onshore winds and small, choppy waves. There’s a glassy moment on the morning of Friday the 4th, but the swell is only 3ft and weak, with a combined energy of just 100, so it’s barely a ripple. It’s a bit of a write-off until the second week.

Now, things start to look up around the 10th of September. On Thursday the 10th, we see the swell bump up to 5ft to 5ft from the NE, and with light, glassy winds in the morning, it’ll be clean. The combined energy hits 236, which is a decent pulse of moderate energy. It’s still not a standout, but it’s a step in the right direction.

The true standout, the one to circle on your calendar, is the afternoon of Friday the 11th of September. The swell pushes to 6ft from the SSE with a period of ́7 seconds. The wind goes gentle offshore from the ESE, which is going to clean it right up. The combined energy is up to 346 – that’s a solid, punchy moderate energy. This will be the best looking window for a decent session.

Following that, the morning and afternoon of Saturday the 12th of September are also very promising. We get a 5ft to 4ft SSE groundswell with a long period of 10 to 12 seconds, which is going to bring proper shape and power. The wind stays light and cross-off, keeping the surface clean, and the energy is high at 524 and 506 respectively. For a point break like The Pass, that long period swell will wrap in nicely, and the light winds will make it a dream. Just keep in mind that crowds are a given here – it’s a consistent, popular spot, so get out early.

Beyond that, the following week drops off again into smaller, cleaner, but less punchy surf. The 13th and 14th have some clean conditions but the swell drops back under 3ft.

So, for the full 16-day outlook, the surf is pretty poor for the first week and a half. Don’t bother until the 11th and 12th of September – those are your windows. The afternoon of the 11th for a punchy, offshore groomed wave, and the 12th for longer, cleaner lines on a proper groundswell. The rest is for the kite surfers or a longboard cruise in the glassy patches.

Rusty.

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