Tippers Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what we’ve got coming down the line at Tippers over the next couple weeks, and I’ll be straight with you—it’s going to take a bit of patience. There is no surf on offer at the start, so we’re looking at a gap of several days with no real recommendations. The first whisper of a rideable wave shows up on the morning of Wednesday, September 10.

Overall, the pattern is one of marginal, tricky conditions. The swell sticks around—periods get long, pushing 16 to 20 seconds, so we’re talking proper groundswell energy with that long, waiting lull between sets. The combined swell energy values are mostly in the moderate 400s to low 600s, which is solid but nothing crazy. But the wind is the main character here—it’s almost never clean. For most of the window, it’s cross-on or straight onshore, leaving the surface chopped up or bumpy.

For the first few days, Tuesday morning September 8 has 4 ft of SSW swell at 10 seconds, but it’s cross-on from the NW at 12 mph with poor surf and a score you wouldn’t bother paddling out for. The water’s running 72°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year—a notable difference of about 4° above average, so it feels like a warm bath out there.

Wednesday morning September 9 drops to 2 ft of SW swell but the period jumps to 16 seconds. Wind is onshore from the west at 6 mph—still not good. The wave comment says marginal, and that’s the best we see for a stretch. Thursday the 10th brings 3 ft SW swell with a 17-second period, but again cross-on from the SSW at 9 mph keeps it fairly choppy. Friday through to Monday the 14th is just a run of poor to marginal conditions, with mostly cross-on wind or very light onshore. The swell stays around 1 ft to 4 ft, but the period goes from short and weak (8 seconds on the 13th) up to a very long 19 seconds on Sunday afternoon—except it’s only 1 ft tall and the wind is onshore. That’s a tease, not a session.

Now, the standout—and I mean the only real standout to get excited about—is the morning of Sunday, September 20. Finally, we get a window where things line up. There’s 3 ft of SW swell with a 17-second period, and the combined energy is 578—solid mid-range. Wind is from the west at just 6 mph, which is light and offshore for this spot (Tippers likes SW wind for optimum, but west is still clean). The crowd here is “sometimes,” so you might have company but it’s not a circus. For a reef break that’s consistent and exposed to the swell, this is the real pick of the whole outlook. Clean, offshore, groundswell, and the size is right for most surfers—under 5 ft, so good for beginners too. That is your session.

After that, Monday September 21 looks similar with 3 ft to 4 ft of SW swell, light cross-on in the morning but still the same 17-second period. It’s marginal again, but close to being good if the wind holds. The rest into late September stays marginal, with light breezes and occasional cross-ons, never quite hitting that sweet spot again.

So to wrap it up: wait it out until the 20th. That Sunday morning is the one. The warm water anomaly is a nice bonus early on, but for actual waves on your board, make sure you’re in the water around the 20th. The rest is for kite surfers if you’re into that—otherwise, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

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