The South Jetty Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the menu for the next couple of weeks. Honestly, it's a pretty quiet period overall. There are long gaps where there's nothing worth paddling out for. After Saturday the 4th, the only real chance of anything gets going is right at the very end, which is a long way off.

The South Jetty is the only break in the mix. Right now, it's a write-off for paddle surfing. We're talking tiny, poor surf conditions through the whole first week. On Saturday morning the 4th, there's a weak 1 ft swell from the SE with a period of 9 seconds, and a light cross-shore breeze. The water is sitting at 75°, which is a couple of degrees above the long-term average, so it feels much warmer than normal for this time of year. But honestly, the combined energy is only 24 (weak), the waves are tiny and sloppy. It's not worth the effort.

That same story continues all week. There's really nothing to get excited about. On Tuesday the 7th afternoon, the swell tries to push up to 3 ft from the NE, and the energy jumps to 128 (moderate), but it's still mixed up and the conditions don't come together. The wind is cross-shore, and the wave comment is just "poor surf conditions." The following days give us little half-metre dribble and onshore or cross-shore breezes. From the 7th through to the 18th, that's over a week of no recommendations. It's a long, flat stretch.

Now, things get a little more interesting on Saturday the 18th. During the afternoon, we get a slight shift. The swell drops back to 3 ft from the S, but the wind turns glassy. The conditions are described as "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions" – which is the best we'll see. The combined swell energy is 58 (weak). The period is still short at 6 seconds, so it's a bit of a junky windswell, but the glassy conditions make it clean. It's a tiny one-star day at best, and the crowds here are sometimes an issue, so you might have company on a tiny wave.

The best, and really the only standout, is that Saturday afternoon glass-off on the 18th. It's not a classic by any means, just a tiny, clean wave after a long flat spell. For beginners, this is your window because it's well under 5 ft. For everyone else, it's a chance to get wet in clean conditions, but don't expect to get your socks blown off.

That's the picture. A long, quiet run with a tiny, clean window right at the end.

- Rusty

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