The Pass Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ out at The Pass. It's been a real mixed bag, some days looking like a total write-off, but there are a few windows where this spot could turn it on. We gotta wade through some average stuff first, though. The combined swell energy numbers give us a clue, and while there are a few low-energy days, we do get a spike later.

The overall pattern: We start off with tiny, weak swell and funky wind that makes it barely worth paddling out. Monday the 24th has 2ft to 3ft swell, but it's coming from the SSE and ENE – not really the ideal ENE direction this point loves – and the cross-off wind isn’t doing it any favours. Combined energy is only 99 to 149, so it's weak. It’s surfable, but it’s ordinary.

Tuesday the 25th and Wednesday the 26th are basically a total loss. The wind swings onshore, the swell stays a weak 3ft to 4ft, and they’re calling it poor surf conditions with a score that says don’t bother. The combined energy climbs a bit to 160, but the period is a short, junky 7-8 seconds. Not worth it.

Thursday the 27th sees a small bump Thursday afternoon: 5ft swell from the SSE, but still a short 7-second period. Combined energy jumps to 364, which is moderate, but it’s just a marginal call. Wind stays cross-off, but that short period means the waves will be fat and weak.

Friday the 28th is a step in the right direction. Morning has 3ft of SSE swell with a 7-second period and clean conditions (188 energy), and then Friday afternoon gets real interesting: the wind swings offshore from the SE – clean glassy conditions – with 3ft of SSE swell at 8 seconds. Combined energy hits 214. Surfable and clean, but still small.

The weekend, the 29th and 30th, is where it starts to look a bit more promising. Saturday is still average, but then Sunday the 30th afternoon is a true standout. We get a jump to 5ft from the SE with a 9-second period, light offshore wind, and the combined energy blasts up to 845 – that’s strong wave energy. The forecast says “expect very good surf conditions” and the rating backs it up. This is the best session in the run. The Pass loves that east-southeast groundswell with a light offshore, so the lines should be clean and punchy. If you can get out Sunday afternoon, that’s the one. Crowds are "often" here, so expect company.

Monday the 31st drops back a bit, and Tuesday September 1st offers another nice little window. Tuesday morning is glassy with 5ft from the east (392 energy), and Tuesday afternoon stays clean with 5ft (401 energy). That’s two solid sessions, though not quite as strong as Sunday.

Wednesday the 2nd and Thursday the 3rd hold some fun, clean waves in the 4ft to 4ft range, with good energy (340 on Thursday arvo) and offshore or glassy wind. Good for the skills.

Then it turns ugly again from Friday September 4th all the way through Monday September 7th. Cross-on wind, lumpy, choppy, poor conditions. Combined energy drops as low as 44. That’s a real dry spell of about 4 days.

Finally, Tuesday September 8th afternoon we get a late reward: 5ft from the SSE with a 7-second period, clean cross-off wind, and 286 energy. The wave state is clean again, so that could be a sneaky good session to finish the 16-day run.

Water temp: Sitting at 68°F with the anomaly negative at -0.9°F, so it’s pretty much bang on average for this time of year in the water. No surprises there.

In short: The Pass has a few true standouts. Sunday August 30th afternoon is the best of the bunch by a long shot – bigger swell, clean offshore, and strong energy. Tuesday September 1st is also a solid runner-up for some clean rides. Don’t bother with the first few days or that rough stretch in early September. Keep an eye on that Sunday arvo session.

Rusty.

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