Thousand Steps Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll call it straight: the next couple of weeks are a bit of a grind for Thousand Steps. There’s no real pump of quality swell, and the wind is mostly a pain. Let’s break it down.

We’ve got a bit of a wait for anything decent. The first real chance to get wet is Sunday, 6 September, but it’s a tough one. The swell is 5 ft from the S, with a period of 14 seconds, and the wind is a cross-off from the NNE at 12 mph. The wave energy is moderate (982), but the forecast says “marginal” – likely tide issues. The water is a very unusual 74°, which is 6° warmer than normal. That’s a big anomaly, but it won’t save the surf.

Monday morning, 7 September, is a better option at Thousand Steps. The swell is still 5 ft, coming from the SSW with a 13-second period, and the wind is a gentle cross-shore from the NW at 9 mph. The energy is a solid moderate (959). It’s not perfect, but it’s clean enough for an intermediate session. By Monday afternoon, the wind swings to a cross-on from the WNW at 16 mph, and it gets choppy – not worth it.

Tuesday, 8 September, sees the swell drop to 4 ft, then 3 ft, with cross-on winds and poor conditions. The rest of the week is a write-off: small, choppy, and cross-on. The swell sticks around 2 ft to 4 ft, mostly from the SW, with periods between 14 and 17 seconds. The wind is a constant cross-on from the S or SSE, making it poor for surfing.

The one bright spot is Wednesday morning, 9 September. The swell is tiny at 2 ft from the SW, but the period is a very long 16 seconds, and the wind is glassy – 3 mph from the W. The energy is only moderate (324). It’s a long-period groundswell, so it’ll be clean but small, and more suited to a point or reef than a beach break. Still, glassy conditions are rare, so if you’re desperate, paddle out.

From 10 September onward, it’s a grim run. The swell stays below 3 ft, and the wind is almost always cross-on from the S or SSE. There’s a brief window on the afternoon of 13 September with a 2 ft swell from the W and a 10-second period, but the wind is onshore from the WSW at 6 mph. It’s marginal at best.

The second week doesn’t offer much. From 14 September to 21 September, the swell is 1 ft to 3 ft, with periods between 16 and 19 seconds. The energy is moderate but weak (174 to 611). The wind is mostly cross-on from the S or W, with a few onshore moments. The best of a bad bunch is the morning of 21 September: 3 ft from the SW at 17 seconds, with a light onshore breeze. It’s still marginal.

Honestly, this is a tough stretch. The only real standout is Wednesday morning, 9 September, with that glassy wind and long-period swell. It’s small, but it’ll be the cleanest surf of the fortnight. Otherwise, the setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, given the consistent cross-onshore winds and small, choppy waves.

Rusty.

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