Winki Pop Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. We’ve got a wild 16-day window ahead at Winki Pop (VIC). This is a reef and point set-up that handles a solid SW groundswell, but the quality is all over the place. No surf on offer for the first few days, so don’t bother paddling out right now. The first call for a wave is on Thursday the 3rd of September, but it’s a tough one – big swell and tricky conditions.

Thursday the 3rd kicks off with a chunky 13ft to 15ft SW swell, period around 14 seconds, and strong cross-offshore wind. Combined energy is massive (8086-9613), so you’re looking at heavy, powerful lines. It’s clean-ish but the tide and size make it marginal – this is advanced-only territory, and even then, it’s a handful.

Friday the 4th is the standout. Morning sees a solid 7ft SW groundswell with a 16-second period (very long period, so expect long gaps between sets) and light offshore NW winds at 15 mph. Combined energy is 2387 – plenty of juice. The wind is gentle and offshore, so those waves will be glassy and peeling down the point. This is the pick of the week for experienced surfers. The afternoon holds similar goodness but cloud cover rolls in.

Saturday the 5th is a write-off for paddling. Swell drops to 5-7ft, but wind howls from the WNW at 28 mph in the morning, with heavy rain. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. The afternoon is no better with cross-offshore winds at 25 mph. Energy is still moderate (1219-1602), but it’s a battle.

Sunday the 6th brings a reprieve. Swell eases to 5-5ft SW, period 13-14 seconds, with light cross-offshore breezes. Combined energy drops to 921 and 667. It’s cleaner, more manageable, and “expect very good surf conditions” for the size. A good day for a cruisey session.

Monday the 7th and Tuesday the 8th see a dip. Early Monday has tiny 3ft SW swell and crummy cross-on wind. Tuesday morning though, a new pulse of 5ft SW swell with an 18-second period (very long period) and light WNW wind makes for clean, glassy conditions – combined energy 2060. This is a sneaky good window for the reef, but the afternoon gets a cross-shore chop.

Wednesday the 9th and Thursday the 10th pick up again. Thursday morning is a highlight: a 8ft SSW swell at 18 seconds (very long period) with light offshore wind. Combined energy is 4634 – strong. The waves will be big, clean, and powerful, but that long period means it’s best on the point, not the beach. This is for experts only. Crowds are “often” here, so you’ll have company.

Friday the 11th through Sunday the 13th sees the swell dwindle back to 3-5ft, with moderate to fresh winds. Some clean windows on Friday morning with N winds and 5ft SW swell, but nothing to write home about.

Monday the 14th is poor – windswell and chop. Tuesday the 15th brings a new pulse of 5-6ft SW swell with 16-second period and moderate offshore WNW wind. Combined energy 1476 and 1244. Clean and punchy for the point, but not huge.

Now, Wednesday the 16th of September is a serious standout. The afternoon shows a massive 13ft SW swell, period 15 seconds, and fresh offshore NW wind at 22 mph. Combined energy is an enormous 10462 – very strong energy. This is a full-on, heavy groundswell for experts only. The wind is offshore, so the point will be firing, but this is not for the faint-hearted.

Thursday the 17th has leftover 5-6ft SW swell, moderate offshore, but the energy drops. Friday the 18th closes out with poor 4ft SW swell and lumpy cross-shore wind.

Water temp and anomaly data wasn’t provided in the files, so I can’t comment on that.

Best on offer: Friday the 4th morning for clean, manageable size and top-quality shape. Thursday the 10th morning and Wednesday the 16th afternoon are the big-swell standouts, but only for the experienced crew.

Rusty.

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