Windmills Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – the next couple of weeks are looking rough for a proper session. There’s no real standout in this first week, but hang in there, because towards the end of the period, things get interesting, albeit with a big caveat.

We start off with nothing worth paddling out for. From Thursday the 27th of August straight through to Monday the 8th of September, it’s a long, frustrating stretch. The only break on the cards is Windmills, an advanced reef setup. The problem is the wind. It’s hammering out of the ENE all day, every day, sitting at 15-19 mph, locking in a persistent cross-shore chop. The swell is small – around 4ft to 6ft – coming from the ENE with a short, weak period of 5-7 seconds. The combined wave energy is weak to moderate at best (values around 87-400), but with that wind, the surface is just lumpy and messy. The water temperature sits at a warm 80°F and the anomaly of 0.3°F means it’s just about average for this time of year, so at least a wetsuit isn’t a worry. But honestly, this whole first stretch is a write-off for a clean wave.

Now, the real point of interest comes on Monday the 8th of September. The swell starts to pick up. By Tuesday the 9th of September afternoon, we’re looking at a solid 7ft swell from the ENE with a period jumping to 12 seconds – that’s real groundswell energy pouring in. The combined energy rockets up to 1045, which is strong energy. But the wind is still on it, blowing cross-shore at 12 mph, so it’s not glassy. The quality is still low, rated as marginal. A 7ft swell on an advanced reef like Windmills will be a handful, and with the wind messing it up, only the most experienced locals are going to find anything.

The best on offer actually falls on Thursday the 10th of September and Friday the 11th. We see a small drop in wind to just 6 mph from the ENE, still cross-shore but now a light breeze. The swell bumps up to 7ft-8ft from the ENE, with a period of 10 seconds. The combined energy is very strong – 1012 to 1210. This is big, powerful surf. For an advanced reef like Windmills, this is strictly for experts. At over 8ft, it’s not a day for beginners, and the light cross-shore will still put some ripples on the face. It’s the best energy of the whole forecast, but with the direction not being the optimum NNW for this break, and the wind not truly offshore, it’s a powerful but messy prospect. The swell direction is ENE, which isn’t straight into the break’s preferred window, so expect it to be a bit walled up.

Because the wind is always cross-shore and the setup is a reef, even with the big swell this is looking more like a tough paddle than a clean drop. If you’re a confident charger, Thursday the 10th of September morning is the pick of a mediocre bunch. Otherwise, give it a miss.

Rusty.

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