Windansea Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down the next 16 days at Windansea. This is a reef setup that’s exposed to the south-west, and it’s a fairly consistent spot, but this forecast is a real mixed bag. We’ve got a lot of marginal days with small, weak swell and light cross-onshore winds, so the quality is going to be a struggle for most of the period. The water temp is sitting at 73°F, which is a solid 5°F above the norm for this time of year – that’s much warmer than usual, so at least you won’t need a thick wetsuit.

The first week is pretty quiet. From Wednesday, 26 August, through the end of the month, we’re looking at small waves, mostly around 2ft to 4ft, with a mix of S and SW swell. The energy is moderate, with readings between 266 and 768 in the combined swell energy. The wind is light, but it’s cross-on or onshore, not ideal for a clean face. The best of this early period is Saturday, 29 August, with a solid 4ft from the SW and a 16-second period, which is a nice long-period groundswell. The swell energy is 705 in the morning and 768 in the afternoon, and with the wind going onshore in the afternoon, the morning is your better bet. The long period will make for some nice, powerful lines at the reef, but those sets will be spaced out.

Friday, 28 August, is a bit of a tease – 2ft from the SW with a 16-second period, but the wind is offshore (on) and light, so it’ll be glassy. The swell is just too small to get excited about.

We hit a gap from Sunday, 30 August, through Tuesday, 01 September, with nothing worth paddling out for. The swell drops to 2ft to 3ft, and the energy is fading.

The real standout comes on Thursday, 03 September. That morning we’ve got a 6ft swell from the SW, with a 13-second period and a combined energy of 1090 – that’s getting into the strong range. The wind is offshore (on) from the WNW at 9 mph, which is a light breeze, so the conditions will be clean. This is the best window of the entire forecast. The swell is 6ft, which is a bit much for beginners, but it’s cracking for advanced surfers. It’s a south-west swell, which is bang on the optimum direction for Windansea.

After that, the swell slowly backs off. Friday, 04 September, has a 4ft swell from the SW with a 17-second period, which is a very long, powerful groundswell, but the wind is cross-on, so it won’t be as clean as the day before. The energy is still moderate at 727. Saturday, 05 September, is similar, with light offshore winds in the morning, so that might be a decent session.

The second week looks quieter, with smaller swells in the 2ft to 4ft range, and a lot of cross-on winds. The only real highlight is Wednesday, 09 September, with a 5ft swell from the SSW, a 12-second period, and 916 combined energy. The wind is light cross-on in the morning, so it’s worth a look, but it’s not a standout.

Overall, the whole period is a grind with a lot of marginal surf. Thursday, 03 September morning is the clear standout – get on it. The rest is mostly for the die-hards who just want to get wet.

Rusty.

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