Xa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here, checkin' in from the beach. Let's get into it.

We're lookin' at a pretty grim start. The next few days are a write-off, honestly. For the first week or so, the wind is just nasty – cross and cross-onshore, rippin' the surface to bits. The swell's there, but it's messy, short-period stuff, and the conditions are just plain poor. You'll be paddlin' your heart out for nothin' but chop. It's a real dry spell, from the 8th through the 16th of September, with barely a whiff of a decent wave. Even the 12th and 13th, which have a bit of a cleaner look with a cross-off wind, the swell is tiny and weak.

Now, the water temp at Xa is sittin' at 73°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year – no drama there.

There's a little flicker of hope on the 17th of September. The wind finally swings to a light cross-off from the SSW, and we get a clean surf. The swell is a modest 4 ft from the SSE, period of 10 seconds, which is a nice, workable groundswell. It's not gonna blow your mind, but it'll be clean lines with combined wave energy of 330 (moderate). This is the best we're gonna get in this window; the only real standout where the stars align for a couple of sessions.

But, and it's a big but, Xa itself is a reef break. It's a standout for a reason. With a long-period groundswell like that, it'll be peaky and powerful, perfect for the reef. The wind is light, so it'll be glassy. Because it's a reef and it's "very consistent," you can guarantee a wave. The downside – it's "sometimes" crowded, so expect a few heads out there, and it's strictly for advanced surfers. The 17th morning and afternoon both look clean.

After that, the 18th shows a bit of a step back with a cross-shore, and the 19th and 20th of September have a return of cross-off winds, but the swell is short-period (7 seconds) and a bit bigger, around 5 ft. It'll be clean, but that short period means the waves will be a bit weak and crumbly. It's a paddle, but not the same quality as the 17th.

The rest of the run into the 23rd is more of the same old story – bumpy and onshore. Not worth the effort.

To sum it up: the 17th of September is your only real window. If you're an advanced surfer and you can handle a reef, make a plan for that morning or afternoon. It'll be clean and you'll get your fix. The rest is a long, frustrating wait.

- Rusty

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