Tower Road Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get real about the next 16 days at Tower Road. I’m going to be straight with you – this stretch looks pretty flat and uninspiring. We’ve got a sandbar break that is fairly consistent, but the swell just isn’t showing up with any real energy. The water temperature is sitting at 77°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least it’ll be a nice paddle if you just want to float.

Right from the start, Tuesday afternoon, September 1st, we’ve got tiny 0.3m swell from the SE with a short period of 7 seconds. The combined swell energy is a weak 17, and the wind is a light cross-off from the SSW, so the surface is clean, but honestly, there’s nothing to ride. This pretty much sets the tone.

Wednesday the 2nd is more of the same – 0.5m SE swell, but with onshore wind from the NE and ENE, making for poor conditions. Wave energy ticks up a bit to 71 and 78, but it’s still weak and the surf quality is poor.

Thursday the 3rd offers a small glimmer: the morning is clean with a light cross-off, but still only 0.5m. That afternoon, the wind goes glassy from the NNW at 5 km/h – dead calm. The swell drops to 0.4m with a period of 9 seconds, combined energy at a meagre 32. The surface will be like a lake, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a wave worth your time.

Friday the 4th, same story. 0.4m, weak energy (29 in the morning, 19 in the arvo), and the wind shifts around. The afternoon sees a light cross-on breeze, so it’s not even clean.

The weekend, Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th, is a write-off. The swell is barely there – 0.3m on Saturday, 0.2m to 0.6m on Sunday – and the wind is a messy cross or cross-onshore, creating lumpy, choppy conditions. Combined energy stays in the teens to low 20s. Not worth the drive.

Monday 7th through Wednesday 9th is more flatness. The only notable thing is on Tuesday the 8th, a 0.7m SSE swell shows up in the morning with a clean cross-off wind from the SSW at 25 km/h, but the period is a short 6 seconds and combined energy is still only 52. It’s weak, and by the afternoon the wind picks up to a fresh 35 km/h, making it blown out.

Thursday 10th to Saturday 12th: the swell stays tiny (0.2m to 0.4m). The best chance for a clean surface is Saturday the 12th afternoon, when the wind goes dead calm and glassy. But again, it’s 0.3m with a 6-second period and energy of 16. You’d be chasing ripples.

Sunday 13th is more of the same, with a glassy arvo but only 0.3m.

Now, Monday 14th is the only time the swell pushes up a little. The morning sees 0.9m from the N, period of only 4 seconds (windswell), with a cross-off wind from the NW at 25 km/h. Combined energy is 45. While that’s the biggest swell of the whole 16 days, it’s still small, short period, and the wave comment says “poor surf conditions.” It’s not a standout.

Tuesday 15th and Wednesday 16th are similar – 0.9m and 0.8m – but with cross or onshore winds and energy in the 50s and 60s, still weak. The wave quality remains poor.

Honestly, there is no standout session here. Nothing even reaches 1.0m, and the combined swell energy never once cracks three digits, meaning it’s weak the whole way through. For a fairly consistent break like Tower Road, this is a real downer. The setup is more interesting for a kite surfer if the wind picks up, especially on days with a fresh cross-shore, but for a paddle surfer? There’s nothing to get excited about. This is one of those quiet stretches where you just wait for the next change in the forecast.

- Rusty

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