Thompsons Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a hard look at what’s on the table for the next couple of weeks. We’ve got a long stretch of nothing special, so keep your expectations in check.

The overall pattern is pretty grim. Thompsons Bay is a sheltered spot, and for the next week and a half, the wind and swell just aren’t playing ball. There’s a lot of cross-shore and cross-onshore wind, and the swell energy is mostly weak to moderate. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing strange going on there.

We’re looking at a massive gap of poor surf for the first eight days. From Sunday the 30th of August right through to the middle of the following week, it’s a write-off. The wind is all over the place, and the swell is mostly short-period, messy stuff. You’ll see a few windows where the height bumps up, like on Friday the 4th of September morning with a solid 13ft swell from the south, but it’s cross-shore wind and the combined energy is strong at 3114, making it a big, bumpy mess. Not for beginners, and honestly, not even great for experts with that wind. That afternoon gets even worse with rain and choppy conditions.

The only real glimmer of hope comes right at the tail end of the forecast. On Friday the 11th of September afternoon, we finally get a bit of a setup. The swell is 8ft from the east-northeast at 8 seconds, and the wind is light and onshore. The combined energy is a solid 1099, so there’s some push. This is a marginal call, but it’s the closest we get to something surfable. The light onshore wind will keep the surface a bit bumpy, but the size is there.

Then on Saturday the 12th of September afternoon, things get a bit more interesting. A 10ft swell from the south-southwest, period 8 seconds, with a cross-shore breeze. That’s a moderate energy of 1293, and the cross-shore wind is better than onshore. This is the best option on the board. It’s a moderate cross-shore with some chop, but for a sheltered spot, that’s a decent trade-off. The size is big, so this is for intermediate to expert surfers only.

And Sunday the 13th of September morning has a similar feel with an 8ft south swell and 9-second period, combined energy of 1257, but the wind is cross-shore again. It’s more of the same, but if you missed Saturday, this is your backup.

Honestly, if you’re really keen, the Friday afternoon is the most realistic, but Saturday the 12th is the standout. No gems here, just a couple of windows that aren’t total garbage.

Rusty.

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