Yellowsands Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for our local stretch.

It’s gonna be a bit of a mixed bag to start, with a lot of wind-affected swell and not much to get excited about until we get through the first week. The next few days are messy, but there’s a solid window of clean, glassy conditions brewing for the middle of next week that looks like the real standout.

The only break on the radar here is Yellowsands Beach (river). Right now, the water is sitting at 66°F, which is about normal for this time of year.

Saturday 5th kicks off with a 6ft SE swell, but the wind is cross-on from the ENE at 9 mph, and it’s fairly choppy. The combined energy is moderate (555). Not worth paddling out for.

Sunday 6th is worse. Light rain and a strong onshore wind from the E at 9 mph. The swell drops to 3ft in the morning, but the period is a very long 23 seconds – that’s a pure groundswell, but with the wind on it, and at a river break, it’s going to be a mess. Scores are low.

Monday 7th and Tuesday 8th are a write-off. Strong winds from the NE and ENE, blowing 19 mph and 6-9 mph respectively, with lumpy, choppy conditions. Swell gets up to 7ft, but it’s ugly. The energy is strong (1434 on Tuesday), but the wind is ruining it.

Wednesday 9th is a bit of a tease. 7ft ENE swell, but still cross-onshore. The energy is moderate (1098) but the quality is just marginal.

Thursday 10th is where things start to shift. The wind swings to a light cross-offshore from the SSW at 9 mph, and the morning is clean. Swell is small at 4ft, but the afternoon cleans up even more with a 2ft SSW swell and a very long period of 19 seconds. The energy is low (388), but the conditions are clean. A small-wave session could be on.

Friday 11th is a write-off: onshore wind and rain.

Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th are for the crazies. We get a big pulse of swell – 7ft to 12ft from the E and SE – but with strong onshore and cross-on winds. The energy is strong to very strong (965 to 3132), but it’s just a big, lumpy, choppy mess. This is more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle surf one.

Monday 14th September – Now we’re talking. This is the standout. The morning is clean with a light cross-offshore wind from the SSW at 6 mph, and a 5ft E swell with moderate energy (705). The conditions are described as “very good”. But the afternoon is the absolute winner. The wind drops to *glassy* – a light southerly at 3 mph, completely calm. The swell picks up to 6ft from the SSW with a period of 12 seconds, and the energy is strong (1289). This is excellent surf for experienced surfers, clean, glassy, and with proper shape. That’s your session.

Tuesday 15th September keeps the glass theme going. The wind is flat calm (0 mph) in the morning, with a 3ft SSW swell (11-second period). The afternoon is also glassy with a light SE breeze. It’s clean but small. Good for a longboard or a funboard.

Wednesday 16th and Thursday 17th blow up again. Strong cross-offshore winds from the WSW at 22 mph on Wednesday make it unsurfable despite the clean faces. Thursday is a bit better with a 9 mph cross-offshore wind and a 4ft SSW swell.

Friday 18th through Sunday 20th return to choppy, onshore conditions with ENE winds at 12-22 mph and swell up to 10ft. The energy is strong (2265), but the wind is a killer. Not worth it.

So, bottom line: The waiting game is on. The first week is mostly a washout with wind and rain. The absolute best bet is Monday 14th September afternoon, with glassy conditions and a solid 6ft SSW groundswell. Tuesday 15th is also a good, clean, smaller option. Anything beyond that is a long shot and looks messy.

Rusty.

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