38 Line Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the table for 38 Line over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, it’s a tough start. We’ve got a long stretch of almost nothing happening. From Saturday the 22nd all the way through to the end of the month, the swell is basically flat or just tiny dribbles. The water temp is sitting at 79°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but that’s about the only thing of note. You’re looking at a solid week of flat spells and onshore junk. It’s the kind of period where you don’t even bother checking the cam.

Things start to stir a little towards the end of the month. The morning of Thursday the 27th brings a small pulse of 3ft swell from the NE with a short 5-second period, combined energy of just 53, and a cross-offshore wind. It’s surfable, but it’s very ordinary. That’s the best we’ve seen in a week, and it’s not saying much.

The real action doesn’t fire up until we push into the first week of September. The standout, and I mean the real standout, is the morning of Thursday the 3rd. We’re looking at a solid 8ft swell from the NE with an 8-second period, pumping out a combined energy of 857. The wind is a clean cross-offshore from the NNW. That’s serious, punchy, powerful surf. Because it’s over 8ft, this one is locked in for experienced surfers only. The afternoon gets a bit messy with a cross-shore breeze picking up to 12 mph and the energy jumping to 923, but the morning is the window.

Then, Friday the 4th is a beast. The swell is forecast to hit 16ft from the NE. That’s a massive amount of water, with combined energy readings of 4737 in the morning and up to 7591 in the afternoon. That’s well beyond the capacity of this break. The report says it’s too big. Unless you’re a tow-in merchant or just like watching a spectacle, stay well clear. This is a warning, not a recommendation.

After the chaos, the morning of Saturday the 5th cleans up nicely. The swell drops to a still-chunky 7ft from the NE, with a 10-second period. The combined energy is 1155, and it’s glassy – zero wind. That is excellent surf for experienced surfers, but the 7ft size means it’s still a big day for the average punter.

The rest of the second week tapers off into smaller, more manageable 4ft to 6ft waves, but the wind starts swinging onshore again, making it less clean. The morning of the 6th offers a glassy 4ft, which is a nice little mellow session if you’re hanging around.

So, to wrap it up: the first week is a write-off. The best windows are the morning of the 3rd (big, for experts) and the morning of the 5th (big, glassy, for experts). The smaller stuff in the following days is just average. It’s a long wait, but it does get good for those who can handle it.

Rusty.

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