Windmills Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming our way.

Straight up, it’s a tough start. The first week of this outlook is pretty much a write-off for decent waves. From Friday the 28th of August right through to Wednesday the 9th of September, it’s all poor surf conditions. That’s nearly two weeks of messy, chopped-up, cross-shore junk. The wind is hammering out of the ENE at 15 to 22 mph for days on end, ruining any chance of a clean face. The swell hangs around 4 ft to 6 ft but with those short periods of 5 to 8 seconds, there’s no power or shape. The combined energy stays weak to moderate (138 to 349), just adding to the frustration. For a solid week, every session is a no-go.

Things start to look a bit more promising towards the end of the run. The first real standout I can get stoked about is Windmills on the morning of Thursday the 10th of September. The swell still isn’t huge at 4 ft and coming from ENE, but the period stretches out to 10 seconds – much better. The wind swings around to a light cross-off at 12 mph from the East, and conditions turn clean. The combined energy jumps to 541, which is solid moderate. It’s still a little on the small side, but it’s a proper improvement. The next day, Friday the 11th, morning winds go offshore from the South at 12 mph, making for clean waves. Swell is 5 ft from NE, period 9 seconds, and the energy is 430. Good conditions, but the real prize is coming.

Now, the absolute standout of this whole 16-day window is Saturday the 12th of September. That morning at Windmills, we get 5 ft of ENE groundswell with a period of 11 seconds, and the wind is a glassy offshore from the South at just 9 mph. That’s clean. The combined swell energy is pumping at 876 – strong energy. It’s not too big, just a fun, powerful wave for an advanced crew. The afternoon holds even better: 6 ft from ENE, 11-second period, and the wind goes light cross-off from the SE at 6 mph. That’s about as perfect as it gets for that spot. The energy hits 1063, which is very strong. The crowd factor at Windmills is listed as “often,” so expect company. But for a reef break that’s fairly consistent, and with the swell direction matching the optimum NNW direction closely enough, this will be the session to aim for. For beginners, the morning size is fine, but the afternoon gets to 6 ft, so maybe a bit punchy if you’re not comfortable.

The only other session worth a mention is Wednesday the 9th September afternoon. It’s a 7 ft NE swell with a 9-second period and clean cross-off wind from the ENE at 19 mph. It’s just marginal. The energy is 708 – strong – but the condition call is only “marginal surf.” It’s big and clean, but not quite coming together. Good for a kite maybe, less so for a paddle.

So, to wrap it up: don’t bother paddling out until the second week. The best bet is Saturday the 12th of September. That’s your clean, powerful, and surfable day. Thursday the 10th and Friday the 11th are alright warmups.

Stay patient, and see you in the water.

Rusty

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