West Dale Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s on the cards for West Dale over the next couple of weeks... and I’ll be honest with you, it’s going to be a long, frustrating wait.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a real dry patch. For over a week – from Monday the 14th right through to the morning of Saturday the 20th – it’s just not worth paddling out. We’re looking at a lot of onshore and cross-onshore wind, mostly from the WSW and W, blowing at 15 to 22 mph. The swell is there at times, like on Thursday the 17th with 6 ft from the west, but the wind just chops it up into a lumpy mess. Combined swell energy hits 351 (moderate) then, but it’s poor. Don’t even think about it.

Finally, we get a little window on Saturday morning the 20th. The wind swings around to a light ENE offshore at just 6 mph, which will clean things right up. The swell is a modest 3 ft from the WSW with a period of 8 seconds. The combined energy is low at 133 (weak), so it’s not going to be pumping, but for a morning surf, it’s surfable and almost glassy. That might be your best bet for a small, clean one in the near term.

Now, hold on to your hat for Sunday the 27th. This is the standout, but it comes with a major caveat. The forecast shows a massive pulse of 12 ft swell from the WSW, with a period of 10 seconds, and combined energy hitting a whopping 2570 (very strong wave energy). The wind is a light offshore SE breeze at 16 mph. But here’s the thing – this swell is predicted to be too big for West Dale. The files say it’s clean and the wind is right, but the size is only for experienced surfers, and even then, it may be overwhelming for this break. It’s a wild card day for experts only, and even then, be cautious. The afternoon sees it drop to 10 ft and the wind goes cross-shore, so the morning is the only real shot if you’re game.

Before that, Tuesday the 22nd offers a glimmer with a cross-offshore NNE wind and a 6 ft west swell (combined energy 324, moderate), but the conditions are described as marginal, so it’s a gamble.

All in all, the first week is a write-off. The best clean surf is going to be that small window on the 20th of September for an easy, fun session. And if you’re an expert with a death wish, keep an eye on the 27th of September, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Rusty.

Read more