The Peak Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Howdy, Rusty here. I’ll be upfront—this stretch is mostly a dud, with a lot of wind and slop to get through before we see anything half decent.

We start Sunday, 30th August, with tiny surf at The Peak. Only 1ft of west swell with a 10-second period and a light offshore ESE breeze. The water is 63°, which is about 5° warmer than average for this time of year—pretty weird, feels like bathwater. The combined energy is weak at 39, so it’s a clean but tiny start, really just for a log or a paddle. Sunday afternoon turns glassy with no wind and a slight bump to 2ft, but still nothing special.

Monday the 31st things go south. Wind cranks onshore from the WNW at 16 mph, blowing straight into a 6ft swell. Energy hits 361 (moderate), but it’s messy and choppy all day—poor surf. That junk continues through Tuesday and Wednesday, with winds 12-16 mph cross-shore. Swell hangs around 3ft to 5ft, but the onshore wind won’t let up. Not worth it.

Now Thursday, 3rd September, gets my attention. The swell jumps to 7ft in the morning and 8ft in the afternoon, from the west with an 11-12 second period. That’s real groundswell—energy at 1131 and 1721 (strong). But the wind is blowing 16-22 mph cross-shore and cross-on, making it lumpy and messy. It’s too big for beginners at over 5ft, and with that chop, only hardcore crew might find a keeper. I’d call it marginal.

Friday the 4th is a total blowout. We’re looking at a massive 13ft west swell in the morning, 13-second period, and a strong breeze 25 mph cross-on. Energy hits 5056—very strong. But the wind is howling, making it a mess. This looks more like a kiter’s day than a paddle surfer’s.

Finally, some relief. Saturday, 5th September, the wind drops to 6 mph in the morning, still cross-on though. Swell drops to 5ft with a 10-second period and energy of 391. Not perfect, but it’s the best we’ve had. The afternoon cleans up with a 3ft swell and a light cross-off breeze from the SSW—clean, but small.

For the standout, I’m calling The Peak on Sunday morning, 6th September. Swell is 3ft from the west, 9-second period, with a cross-off wind from the south at 12 mph. It’s clean, energy is 125 (weak), but it’s the most pleasant surf of the week. Expect a few others in the water—crowds are sometimes a thing here—but the waves will be rideable and tidy.

After that, the week of the 7th to 14th September is mostly poor. The swell tries again on Monday the 7th with 6ft at 11 seconds, but cross-on wind ruins it. The rest is tiny, under 3ft, with light winds and glassy conditions on the 11th and 12th, but the swell is just too weak to care about. A long gap of several days with no real recommendations.

So bottom line: Sunday the 6th is your best shot for clean, small waves. The big stuff earlier has the power but suffers from wind. A bit of a frustrating outlook.

Rusty.

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