Vagabundo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for our neck of the woods.

Honestly, I’ve gotta call it straight – we’re looking at a pretty grim run. The forecast is a long stretch of mediocre to poor conditions, so don’t expect any fireworks. The water temp is sitting at a mild 77°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least you won’t need a thick wetsuit if you’re desperate enough to paddle out.

The first bit of action worth mentioning? There isn’t really any. We’ve got swell on the table from the 29th of August right through, but it’s all plagued by cross-onshore winds. The energy is moderate at best – we’re talking values of 668 (moderate wave energy) on the 29th, but it’s all messy. The period is a short 11 seconds on that first day, dropping to 7-9 seconds after that, which means weak, crumbly stuff. The wind is a constant 12 mph from the NE or NNE, making everything choppy and blown out. It’s just poor surf conditions day after day.

We do get a slight shift around the 3rd of September into the 5th, where the wind goes "on" (offshore direction for the break), but the swell remains small and short-period. Even then, the quality is still rated as "poor surf conditions". The energy is moderate, but nothing to get excited about.

The whole first week is a washout. The second week doesn’t look any better. The wind stays cross-on or on, with a mix of gentle and moderate breezes, but the swell period stays short (6-7 seconds) and the heights hover around 4 ft to 6 ft. The combined energy dips into the 100s and 200s at times (weak to moderate), but it’s all accompanied by a "poor surf conditions" tag. The only glimmer is on the 12th of September, where the Saturday morning session gets a "marginal" nod with a score of 1/10, and a nice 6 ft swell from the NNE with a period of 7 seconds and a gentle breeze. The energy is strong at 671 (moderate wave energy), and the wind is "on" – so it could be clean. But it’s a one-off, and it’s over a week away, so treat it as a long-shot hope rather than a sure thing.

For the beginner crew, those 5 ft to 7 ft swells are not your friend, especially with the chop. The bigger days (over 7 ft) are only for the experts, and even then, the conditions are poor.

Bottom line: there’s no standout, no hidden gem. If you’re a kite surfer, the consistent cross-on wind might be more your thing, but for paddle surfing, it’s a frustrating 16 days. The forecast can always change, but right now, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

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