The Wharf Lefts Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get this out there. The Wharf Lefts. Looking at the whole 16-day window, I’ve got to be straight with you – it’s a pretty flat, quiet stretch. The forecast is a long run of small, clean surf but nothing with any real push or punch to it. We’re looking at a solid stretch of days where you’ll be fighting for a chest-high wave on a good set. It’s gonna test your patience more than your paddle strength.

We kick off on Wednesday, August 26th. It’s clean, with a cross-off breeze, but the swell is tiny, only 2ft. The energy in the water is weak, sitting around 364. It’s a long-period groundswell from the SSW, but with that size, it’s more of a longboard glide than a proper surf. This pattern of small, clean conditions with a cross-off breeze pretty much holds through the first week, all the way into the start of September. You’ll see a little bump to 3ft on Thursday morning the 27th, but it’s still only marginal. The wind stays steady from the ENE at 16-19 mph, which keeps the surface clean, but we need more from the ocean.

There’s a real dry spell in the middle here. From the 28th through to the 5th of September, the swell drops and hovers between 1ft and 3ft. The combined energy stays weak, mostly in the low hundreds. It’s just not doing anything. The one thing I’ll say for it is the wind is consistently cross-off, so the water’s going to look like glass, but there’s nothing for it to shape. It’s a long gap of flatness, and for a spot like The Wharf Lefts, which is a reef break, it’s not even worth suiting up for.

Now, there is a glimmer of something around the 7th and 8th of September. The swell starts to push up – we’re looking at 3ft to 5ft, and the energy jumps up to 673 and then over the 1000 mark. That’s the most life we’ve seen in the water all period. But here’s the catch – the wind swings around to the south and becomes a cross-on, and it gets choppy. It’s also short-period windswell, only 12-14 seconds, so it’s going to be messy and unorganized. On the 8th, it gets to 5ft, which is about as big as it gets, and it’s got 1004 in energy. For a reef break like this, with S wind pushing in, it’s going to be a battle. Honestly, with that size and onshore wind, it might be more interesting for the kite crew than us paddle surfers.

Then it fades again. The last few days drop back down to 4ft or less, with the wind shifting back but the swell period dropping to just 8 seconds – that’s not a wave, that’s just bump.

So, what’s the best of it? Honestly, there’s nothing that screams “go!” The only day that has any real size is the 8th, but the wind and chop are going to ruin it. If you have to get wet, the mornings of the 27th or 1st of September look the cleanest for the small stuff, but you’re on a log. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no need for the thick suit yet. It’s a flat period, plain and simple. We’ll have to wait for the ocean to wake up.

Rusty

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