The Wharf Lefts Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking at The Wharf Lefts.

Right off the bat, the water’s sitting at a warm 81°F – that’s pretty much spot on average for this time of year, so no surprises there. The coming fortnight has a bit of a slow starter, but there is some real promise if you’re patient.

The first couple of days, Wednesday the 2nd through Thursday the 3rd, are pretty much a write-off for surfing. We’ve got a clean-looking sea state, but the swell is a small 2ft to 3ft from the SSW with a long 15-16 second period. The wind is a fresh cross-offshore from the ENE, so the waves would look pretty, but there’s just no grunt to them. Combined wave energy sits in the 300s – weak sauce. Don’t bother paddling out.

Friday the 4th through Sunday the 6th starts to show a pulse. Swell bumps up to 4ft on Friday, then 5ft to 5ft on Saturday, and hits 6ft Sunday afternoon. The swell direction swings from S to SSW, period drops to 12 seconds, but the combined energy climbs from 670 into the 820 range – moderate energy, starting to feel alive. The wind stays cross-off from the ENE, which will keep things clean, but the data flags these as marginal due to questionable tide conditions. Still, Saturday afternoon and Sunday have a bit of push, and the 5ft to 6ft range is fun for intermediates. Not a standout, but a decent warm-up.

Then things get ugly. Monday the 7th has a risk of thunderstorms and the swell jumps to 5ft on a 14-second period from the SW, with combined energy hitting 1501 – that’s strong. But the wind is still cross-off, so it’s borderline rideable if you’re desperate. Tuesday the 8th is a no-go: the swell absolutely detonates to 12ft in the morning and 13ft in the afternoon from the SW, with combined energy over 6000 – massive. Problem is, the wind switches to a fresh cross-onshore SSE, making it a big, lumpy, blown-out mess. That’s expert-only, and even then, it’s more of a kite-surfing show than a paddle session.

After that blast, the wave heights drop back fast. Wednesday the 9th sees 5ft dropping to 4ft, energy falling, and the wind goes back to a clean ENE cross-off. But it’s still marginal. From Thursday the 10th all the way through to Sunday the 13th, it’s tiny – think 1ft to 2ft, mostly from the SW with long periods, but the combined energy is in the 100s. The sea is clean, almost glassy at times, but you’d be struggling to get a ride. The data even calls it “very ordinary conditions.”

Now, here’s the good bit. Monday the 14th of September starts with a glassy morning – glassy – and a 2ft, 14-second SW swell, then Monday afternoon the period jumps to an incredible 24 seconds with energy up to 359. That’s a very long period groundswell. Best of all, the wind is only a slight air, making it glassy. This is where The Wharf Lefts, being a reef break, will absolutely love that ultra-long period. The waves will be clean, lined up, and have some real push despite the modest height. It’s a gem if you’ve got patience.

But the true standout comes Tuesday the 15th. Morning and afternoon both see 3ft from the SW with a 21-second period – another very long period groundswell – and combined energy in the 560-565 range. The wind is light and cross-off from the E to ENE. The data says “expect very good surf conditions.” This is the pick of the window. The reef will handle that long period beautifully. Crowds are listed as “sometimes” possible, and with conditions this clean, expect a few others to have the same idea. It won’t be packed, but don’t expect solitude.

Wednesday the 16th and Thursday the 17th fade back to 3ft, 16 to 18-second period, with energy dropping into the 400s. Still surfable, still clean, but nothing special.

So overall, the first week is a slow, bumpy build, with a dangerous spike on the 8th. The second week starts small, but Monday the 14th and especially Tuesday the 15th are the true standouts – clean, glassy conditions with a super long-period groundswell hitting a reef. Get on it if you can. After that, the swell fades again.

Rusty.

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