Windansea Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Windansea.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a big gap of nothing. For the first few days, from Monday the 31st of August through to Thursday the 3rd of September, it’s pretty grim. The swell is tiny, mostly around 2ft to 3ft, and the wind is on it or cross-onshore. The wave energy is weak, with values like 244 and 441 (moderate energy), but the conditions are just poor. It’s a flat spell, so don’t even bother waxing up.

Things start to look a little more promising from Friday the 4th of September. The swell picks up a touch, hitting 3ft to 4ft from the SW, with a period of 16 to 17 seconds. That’s a long-period groundswell, which is a good sign for a reef setup like Windansea. The energy climbs into the moderate range, around 648 to 794, but the wind is still cross-onshore, and the conditions are only marginal. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing unusual.

By Saturday the 5th of September, we’re looking at 3ft to 4ft SW/S swell, with a period of 14 to 16 seconds. The energy is building, hitting 881 to 929, but again, it’s cross-onshore breezes. It’s still marginal, but it’s getting closer. You’ll be scanning the horizon.

Now, the standout in the whole outlook is Sunday the 6th of September. That morning, we’ve got a solid 8ft SSW swell, with a 15-second period, and the combined energy is a strong 2233. That’s proper groundswell with serious power. However, the wind is a moderate cross-shore, and the forecast says “marginal surf forecast.” The afternoon sees 7ft with slightly less energy. This is a big swell, over 8ft in the afternoon, so it’s only for experts. The reef will be handling it, but the cross-chop from the wind will make it tricky. This is the best on offer, but it’s not clean.

Monday the 7th of September sees the swell peak at 8ft from the SSW, with a 12 to 13-second period. The morning has a strong breeze from the SSE, but it’s cross-offshore, which is described as “clean.” That’s the only time we see a clean wind state. The energy is up around 2205. That’s a big, powerful wave. The afternoon turns cross-onshore and choppy again. If you’re an expert, Monday morning might be your window, but it’s a big, heavy wave.

After that, the swell drops off fast. Tuesday the 8th of September is 6ft in the morning, dropping to 4ft, with short period (8-9 seconds) and poor conditions. From Wednesday the 9th of September onwards, it’s back to tiny, weak swell, 2ft to 3ft, with poor surf conditions and cross-onshore winds. The energy drops to 248 to 475. The last few days show a tiny 3ft west swell on the 15th, but it’s still poor.

So, the one true standout is the Sunday the 6th and Monday the 7th of September, with that big, powerful SSW groundswell. It’s big enough to be exciting, but the wind is never perfect except for a brief window on Monday morning. For the rest of the 16 days, it’s flat or marginal. The crowds at Windansea are often there, so on the good days, expect company.

Rusty out.

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