Whale Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Whale Rock over the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with ya—this stretch is a real mixed bag, and for a lot of it, there just ain’t much to get excited about. The good news is there’s a couple of windows where it all lines up, and they’re worth waitin’ for.

For starters, we’ve got a long dry spell. From the very first records on Thursday 3rd September right through till Saturday 12th September, it’s pretty grim. The swell is mostly small, or it’s blown out with cross-shore winds and lumpy conditions. The combined energy is mostly low to moderate (264 to 1150), and even when the swell gets up in size, the wind ruins it. There’s no decent surf on offer for over a week. It’s the kind of quiet run that tests your patience, but don’t lose hope—things shift in the second week.

Now, the standout. That’s gonna be Sunday 13th September. After a rough stretch, we get a real moment of magic. On Sunday afternoon, Whale Rock lines up for a glassy session. Swell is a solid 8 ft from the S at 10 seconds, with light SSE winds and that magic word—*glass*. Combined wave energy is very strong (1249). The water temp is about 68°F, which is actually slightly cooler than average for this time of year—about 1° cooler, nothin’ too extreme, but you might notice a bit of freshness. This is a session for experienced surfers; that size is too much for beginners, but for the crew who know how to handle it, the conditions should be excellent. The offshore direction is optimum for this break too.

Straight after that high point, Monday 14th September and Tuesday 15th September bring more messy, blown-out conditions as cross-onshore winds from the NE pick up again, and the swell gets big—over 10 ft—but it’s messy and lumpy.

Further out, on Thursday 17th September, we get another interesting moment. The morning shows a 8 ft swell from the SSW at 9 seconds, with WSW cross-offshore winds (moderate breeze) and clean conditions. Combined energy is strong (1376). This one is a bit more of a gamble, being further ahead, but the setup is promising for experienced surfers.

So, bottom line: the first week is a write-off. Keep your board in the car for Sunday 13th September afternoon—that’s your best bet by a long shot—and keep an eye on Thursday 17th morning as a backup. It’s not a classic run, but that glassy Sunday is the real deal.

Rusty

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