Winki Pop Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. We’ve got a solid run of swell from the south-west and south-south-west headed our way over the next 16 days, but it’s not all smooth sailing. The conditions are going to be a real mixed bag, with some standout windows for the experienced crew at Winki Pop (VIC). The water temp is sitting about average for this time of year at 56°, so nothing unusual there.

The first bit of action kicks off Thursday September 10th, with a solid 8ft SSW groundswell rolling in, packing some serious energy (3464). But the wind is messy – cross-shore and choppy in the morning, then turning cross-onshore in the arvo. It’s gonna be a bit of a battle. For the experienced surfer, there’s some size to work with, but it won’t be pretty.

Friday September 11th eases back a touch, with 6ft to 7ft SSW swell. The wind stays light and cross-onshore through the morning, but by the arvo it shifts onshore from the SSE. Still marginal, but there’s potential if you pick your tide. The energy is still strong (2129 in the arvo).

Saturday September 12th is where it starts to clean up. The morning brings a 6ft SSW swell with light cross-offshore wind from the NNE – clean lines and a much better vibe. Then the arvo gets glassy, with 5ft SW swell and no wind. Energy drops (978), but the quality is there. This is the first real standout: Winki Pop on Saturday afternoon. 5ft SW, glassy, clean – it’ll be worth the paddle.

Sunday September 13th drops off further, with 4ft to 3ft SW swell and clean but building northerly winds. It’s surfable but nothing to get too excited about. The energy is low (566 to 471).

Monday September 14th is tiny – 2ft to 1ft SW swell. Some offshore wind in the morning, but it’s barely breaking. A surf check might be a waste of time.

Tuesday September 15th brings a big pulse back – 13ft SW swell with massive energy (7681). That’s a whole lot of water moving. But the wind is cross-shore, creating a chop. This is for experts only, and even then, it’ll be a grinder. The arvo gets cross-onshore and choppy. Not the best.

Wednesday September 16th sees the swell back to 6ft to 6ft SSW, with light onshore wind. Still marginal but consistent energy (up to 1826).

Thursday September 17th shapes up nicely: 5ft SSW swell in the morning with gentle offshore NW wind – clean and inviting. The arvo has 5ft SW swell with light cross-offshore wind. Good quality, low crowds possible.

Friday September 18th is another big one for the experienced crew: 8ft SSW swell with offshore WNW wind in the morning – clean and powerful (2032 energy). This is a true standout for the second week. The arvo gets cross-onshore and choppy, so hit it early.

The following days drop off and get messy again. Saturday September 19th and Sunday September 20th have smaller swell with moderate winds, but Sunday arvo gets a spike of 8ft SW swell and fresh cross-offshore wind (3872 energy) – a bit wild but could be fun for the strong paddlers.

Monday September 21st and Tuesday September 22nd see 6ft to 5ft SW swell with onshore or cross-shore wind. Not great.

Then we get a real pulse on Wednesday September 23rd: 10ft to 15ft SW swell, but with howling onshore wind (19 mph). Huge, messy, and blown out. Kite surfers would be loving it; for paddle surfing, it’s a no-go.

Thursday September 24th drops back to 7ft to 7ft SSW swell, still cross-onshore. Marginal.

The real gem is waiting at the end: Friday September 25th. A 8ft SSW groundswell with a long 17-second period, light cross-offshore wind from the NNE, and glassy conditions in the arvo. Energy is huge (4058 and 3045). This is the standout of the entire forecast: Friday the 25th at Winki Pop. Clean, powerful, and perfect for the experienced surfer. Mark it in your calendar.

Overall, this is a classic run of southern groundswell for the region. There’s a gap of small, poor surf from Monday the 14th to Tuesday the 15th morning, and then again from Saturday the 19th to Tuesday the 22nd. But the good windows are worth chasing. Saturday the 12th afternoon, Friday the 18th morning, and Friday the 25th are the ones to target.

Stay stoked,
Rusty.

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