Tracks Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into the prospects for Tracks over the next couple of weeks. Buckle up, because there’s some serious juice on the way, but you’ll need to pick your moments.

The immediate outlook is quiet, but we’ve got a proper pulse of south swell building into the start of September. The real standout is a powerful run from Tuesday the 1st through Wednesday the 2nd, with big, clean, glassy conditions that will have the advanced crew frothing. After that, the energy drops off, and we’re looking at a long stretch of mediocre to poor surf until the tail end of the forecast.

We’re starting with a slow note. Sunday the 30th of August has a tiny 1 ft SSE swell with a short 10-second period, and a cross-off wind. The combined energy is a weak 65, and the water is running a bit colder than normal at 54°. It’s pretty poor, so not worth a paddle.

Monday the 31st shows more promise. The morning brings a 3 ft south swell, but with a very long 17-second period, pushing the combined energy to a moderate 597. The wind is offshore from the WNW, so it’ll be clean. The afternoon kicks it up a notch with a solid 7 ft south swell, 14-second period, and a strong offshore wind from the west. The energy jumps to 1532. This is a solid warm-up, but the tide might be a factor.

Now, the main event. Tuesday the 1st of September is the pick of the entire forecast. The morning sees a 10 ft south swell with a 13-second period, but the wind is cross-off. The afternoon, however, is where it’s at. The wind drops to a near-calm 5 mph from the WSW, going cross-off, with the same 10 ft south swell. The combined energy is at a strong 2521. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers – big, powerful, and clean. The water temp is still a bit colder than average, but you won’t care.

Wednesday the 2nd of September is the other absolute standout. The morning has a 8 ft south swell, 13-second period, and a light cross-off from the NW, with energy at 2777. But the afternoon is the cherry on top: glassy conditions with a 8 ft south swell and a very long 17-second period. The energy hits a massive 3882. That’s a heavy, grinding groundswell. For a point break like Tracks, this long-period south swell will be dreamy, offering long, powerful walls and easier paddling between sets. It’s only for experts though – over 8 ft is serious.

After that, the window closes. Thursday the 3rd drops to 5 ft, then 4 ft, with moderate cross-off winds. The energy falls to 762 and 459. It’s marginal. From Friday the 4th all the way through Monday the 7th, it’s mostly poor surf with small swell and choppy or onshore winds. There’s a small spike on Sunday the 6th with 4 ft and a 13-second period, but the cross-shore wind and moderate chop ruin it.

Monday the 7th of September throws up a big, messy 13 ft SSW swell with a short 10-second period and a 22 mph cross-off wind. The energy is 3241, but with that short period and strong wind, it’ll be a washing machine. More for kites than paddles at that point.

The second week is a real struggle. From Tuesday the 8th to Thursday the 11th, we’re looking at small, weak swells (2 ft to 5 ft) with low energy (135 to 369). A few moments are glassy or offshore, but the waves are too ordinary to get excited about. There’s a brief lift on Saturday the 12th with a 7 ft SSW swell, but the period is a short 6 seconds, so it’ll be weak and crumbly, and the cross-on wind doesn’t help.

The final days, Sunday the 13th and Monday the 14th, offer a glimmer of hope. Sunday morning has a 4 ft south swell with a 10-second period, light cross-off wind, and some clouds. The afternoon turns offshore from the west with a gentle breeze, cleaning up the 3 ft swell. Monday the 14th has a tiny 2 ft, but it’s offshore from the west with a 12-second period – a clean but small end to the run.

The Bottom Line: If you’re an experienced surfer, do not miss Tuesday afternoon the 1st and Wednesday afternoon the 2nd of September. That’s the gold. The rest of the 16 days is mostly a write-off with small, weak, or messy conditions. The long groundswell on Wednesday will be a thing of beauty at Tracks, but it’s not for the faint-hearted.

Stay salty,
Rusty

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