38 Line Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty comin’ at you. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for 38 Line.

Right off the bat, I gotta tell ya, the next few days are a real struggle. We’ve got a run of tiny, weak, and messy surf that’s just not worth paddling out for. The water’s sitting at a very warm 80°F, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, but that ain’t gonna help the waves. From Sunday the 30th right through to Thursday the 3rd of September, it’s all small, onshore junk. A couple of mornings on Tuesday the 1st and Thursday the 3rd might look clean in the text, but the swell is just too anemic – 2ft to 2ft of weak, short-period junk. The wave energy is pitiful, barely hitting 35 to 46 (combined swell energy) on those cleaner mornings. It’s a classic case of lookin’ good but goin’ nowhere.

Then Friday the 4th rolls in with a bit more size, but it’s a total write-off. We get a jump to 7ft to 8ft of swell out of the NE, but the wind is howling at 22 to 28 mph from the same direction, cross-onshore, turning it into a messy, lumpy nightmare. The wave energy climbs to 403 and 569, but it’s all for nothing with that wind.

Now, here’s where things get interesting, and I mean *really* interesting. Saturday the 5th of September, the models are throwing up a monster. 10ft of NE swell with a slightly longer period of 8 seconds. The energy reading is a massive 1720 (strong to very strong). But – and this is a big but – the forecast is sayin’ this is too big for 38 Line. It’s an exposed beach break, and when you get that much ENE swell with an onshore breeze, it’s gonna be a washing machine. It’s actually flagged as being more interesting for the kite surfers than us paddle guys. So we skip it.

The Standout – Mark Your Calendars.

If you’re chasing the best of the window, you wait for Sunday the 6th of September. That’s the one. The swell drops back to a powerful 7ft out of the ENE, still with a solid 8-second period. The wave energy is still a hefty 650. But the magic is in the wind. It’s set to go offshore from the WNW in the morning, turning glassy in the afternoon with a light SW breeze. That’s the recipe for 38 Line to actually hold its shape. This is the pick of the bunch – expect very good conditions and some real clean, punchy walls. It’s going to be solid, so this is for the experienced crew; it'll be a bit heavy for beginners.

After that, the following week gets a bit mixed. Monday the 7th sees a drop in size and messy cross-shore winds, then a small bump on Wednesday the 9th of September with 7ft (NNE) and clean offshore winds. Thursday the 10th also has some decent size (6ft, NE) and clean morning conditions, but the energy is winding down. The second week is a real mixed bag of clean spells and onshore slop, with a couple of heavy rain days turning things ugly. The long-range promise on the 13th and 14th is all blown out with brutal cross-onshore winds, so don’t get your hopes up for that.

So here’s the takeaway: suffer through the flat start, maybe watch the kooks on Saturday the 5th, and be on the water for Sunday the 6th of September. That’s your day.

- Rusty

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