Tip Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, let's have a look at what's on the cards for Tip Beach over the next couple of weeks. It's a bit of a mixed bag, to be honest, so we'll have to be patient.

The immediate outlook is pretty grim. We've got light rain and a weak 2 ft southerly swell on Saturday morning, and it's just not doing anything worthwhile. The water temp is sitting at 60°, which is about average for now, so no surprises there. The whole first week is a struggle, with swell poking its head up but getting hammered by fresh to moderate winds. Sunday the 6th sees a 8 ft swell, but it's pretty sloppy and that's expert territory anyway. Monday through to the following Saturday, it's mostly marginal at best. We've got a couple of decent mornings, like Tuesday the 8th with a clean 5 ft southerly and moderate combined swell energy (403), but the swell direction is off the ideal SE. The chase isn't worth it.

The first true standout comes on Sunday the 13th of September. The morning is looking magic – glassy conditions with a clean 3 ft southerly groundswell pushing through at 11 seconds. The wind is a light SSE breeze, basically nothing, which will have the place looking like a mirror. The combined energy is a moderate 213, so there's enough push for a good longboard or funboard session. The swell direction is from the S, too, which is a solid angle for this exposed spot. It’s shaping up to be a real treat for the early crew, but remember Tip Beach can get busy, so you'll have company.

After that, the surf drops off right into a flat spell. Monday the 14th and Tuesday the 15th are barely an afterthought with tiny, weak energy (48 and 113). Then things get wild.

We have a big, pulsing swell from the 15th of September onwards, but it's a serious word of warning. On Tuesday the 15th afternoon, the swell jumps to 10 ft with a very long period of 11 seconds, and the combined energy hits a massive 2094 – that's strong, powerful stuff. It’s too big for this beach, and the forecast says so. This continues right through Wednesday the 16th and Thursday the 17th, with 15 ft to 12 ft swell and energy readings in the thousands (5146, 10049, 4043). This is for absolute experts only, and even then, it’s going to be a washing machine. The long period (12–17 seconds) will make it dumpy and straight, and with a strong cross-offshore wind, it’s going to be a battle. Honestly, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing for most.

We then settle into a more manageable window towards the end of the outlook. Saturday the 19th of September morning brings a clean 5 ft swell from the SE with moderate combined energy (720) and a gentle offshore wind. It should be very good. Then Sunday the 20th morning is the second real highlight – glassy conditions, a clean 8 ft SSE swell with plenty of energy (1042), and the forecast says excellent for experienced surfers. The crowds are likely, but with that clean glass, it’ll be a session to remember for those who can handle it.

Overall, mark your diary for the morning of the 13th and the morning of the 20th. The rest is either too small, too windy, or way too big.

Rusty.

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