The South Jetty Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, this is Rusty. Well, I’ve had a long look at the charts for The South Jetty, and I’ve got to be straight with you – it’s a pretty grim 16 days ahead. There’s a real dry spell here, and I mean a long one. The first surfable day, if you can even call it that, doesn’t roll around until Thursday the 3rd of September. Even then, it’s barely a whisper.

From now through to Wednesday the 2nd of September, there’s absolutely nothing worth paddling out for. The swell is tiny, under 2 feet, the periods are short, and the wind is all over the shop – cross, cross-on, and just messy. It’s a blank run, and for this area, that’s not too unusual when the conditions lock in like this.

Then, on Thursday the 3rd of September, we finally get a little pulse. The morning shows a clean 3 feet swell from the ESE with a period of 9 seconds, and the wind is a light cross-offshore from the WSW. The combined energy is moderate at 114, so there’s a bit of life in the water, but it’s only just surfable. The water temp is a whopping 77°F, which is 4°F warmer than normal for this time of year – that’s a very notable anomaly, so the water will feel much warmer than usual. The conditions are clean, but the waves are ordinary. It’s the only real highlight, and it’s a weak one. The afternoon ruins it with a strong cross-shore chop.

After that, we slide back into the doldrums. Friday the 4th, Saturday the 5th, and Sunday the 6th are all poor. The 6th actually sees a bump in swell to 4 feet from the ENE, but with a short period of 7 seconds and a fresh cross-shore wind of 30 km/h, the energy is moderate (150) but the surface is a lumpy mess. It’s a cross-shore mess, and honestly, with that wind and a beach/jetty setup, it looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The second week, from the 7th of September onward, is a total write-off. Swell stays tiny, under 3 feet, periods are short, and the wind is consistently cross, cross-on, or onshore. There’s a bit of a push on the 15th of September with a 4 feet swell from the E, and the combined energy hits 216 – that’s a strong pulse – but the period is only 8 seconds and the wind is cross-onshore. It’s just poor, messy conditions. There’s no standout session in the whole run.

So, to be blunt: the best on offer is the Thursday morning, the 3rd of September. That’s the only time you’ll find clean, surfable waves, and even then, it’s just a small, ordinary wave. The rest of the 16 days is a gap of nothingness. Keep the board waxed and wait for the next change.

Rusty.

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