The Pass Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s on the table for The Pass. We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but there’s a definite window of opportunity building towards the end of the month and into early September.

The forecast kicks off on Tuesday the 25th of August with a moderate 5 ft NE swell running at a short 8-second period. The combined wave energy is in the moderate range for this area (239), but the wind is a cross-on moderate breeze, and the report says “poor surf conditions.” Honestly, not worth getting wet for. That theme continues through Wednesday the 26th and Thursday the 27th, with small, short-period swells and onshore or cross-off breezes. The water is sitting at 69°, which is about 0.5° cooler than average for this time of year – nothing to get excited about, pretty normal.

The outlook starts to shift around Friday the 28th of August. The morning brings a 4 ft SSE swell at 9 seconds, with a light cross-off breeze and clean conditions. The wave energy is building (321) and the forecast says “expect good surf conditions.” This is a solid, surfable morning with a bit of shape. Saturday the 29th holds a similar 4 ft SSE swell (10 seconds) in the morning, also clean, but with a moderate breeze picking up. The energy is climbing (405) but the tide or other factors have it listed as marginal.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The standout window is Sunday the 31st of August. Monday morning the 31st sees a 5 ft SSE swell at 9 seconds, with a light cross-off breeze and “expect very good surf conditions.” The combined energy jumps to 685 (strong). But the real gem is Monday afternoon. The swell drops to 3 ft but it’s a very long-period 17-second groundswell from the SSE, and the wind goes offshore with a gentle breeze. The energy is 811 (strong) and the report says “expect very good surf conditions.” This is a classic The Pass setup – that long-period groundswell will wrap beautifully into the point, offering clean, lined-up waves. The offshore wind is a major positive. The Pass can get crowded, and with quality like this, expect company.

Tuesday the 1st of September morning is still looking good. The swell is 4 ft SSE at 10 seconds, the wind is glassy, and the conditions are clean. Another solid morning option. After that, the wind shifts back onshore and the surf drops off through the rest of the first week of September.

Into the second week, from the 5th of September onward, the outlook gets pretty quiet. Swells shrink below 3 ft, periods are short, and the wind is cross-on for most of the days. There’s a small pulse on the 9th of September with a 3 ft SSE swell and 11-second period, but it’s accompanied by a fresh breeze. Not enough to get excited about.

So, to wrap it up: the best bet is the window from Monday the 31st of August through Tuesday the 1st of September. The Monday afternoon session with that long-period SSE groundswell and offshore wind is the true standout. Get on it.

Rusty.

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