Zero Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's talk about this stretch of surf. Straight up, it's a challenging forecast for the spot called "Zero". This is a point break that rarely breaks, so when it does, you need to be on it. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so a standard spring suit will do.

The outlook starts with a real whimper. From Saturday the 22nd of August right through the following week, we're looking at a whole lot of nothing. The swell is tiny, mostly around 1 ft to 2 ft from the SSW or SW. The wave energy is weak, registering in the low hundreds (119 to 274). The winds are a mix of light cross-onshore and cross-off, which is okay, but there's just no power in the water. It's a frustrating gap of about 5 days where you're better off doing something else.

Things start to shift a little on Wednesday the 26th. The swell picks up to 3 ft from the S, and you can feel the energy building (367). By the afternoon, it jumps to 5 ft from the S with a clean, light cross-shore wind. The wave energy is suddenly strong (1126), and that's a big change. It's still just a marginal call, but that's the first real pulse of the run.

That S swell hangs around for Thursday the 27th (4 ft, 520) and Friday the 28th (2 ft, 506), but the winds are messy, onshore or cross-onshore. It's not clean. The best bet in this first week is actually the afternoon of Sunday the 30th of August. The swell is 3 ft from the SSW, but the wind is a clean cross-off from the WNW, and the energy is moderate (361). It's the first time the conditions are called "good". It's not a big day, but it'll be clean.

Now, the real standout, the one you want to circle on the calendar, is the first week of September. The afternoon of Tuesday the 1st of September sees a 4 ft swell from the W, but the period is a very short 6 seconds. That's borderline windswell, so don't expect a groundswell wrap. The wave energy is moderate (310) and the wind is clean cross-off. It's a solid option for a surf.

But the real gem is the afternoon of Friday the 4th of September. We get a 3 ft swell from the SSW with a very long 18-second period, a true groundswell. The wind is a clean cross-off, and the wave energy is strong (1070). This is the cleanest, most powerful day of the whole forecast. For a point break, that long period will create some beautiful, lined-up waves. The only caveat is that "Zero" is a point break, so it should handle that long period perfectly.

The final weekend, the 5th and 6th of September, looks promising too. The swell builds to 5 ft from the SSE on the 6th, with strong energy (1527), but the winds are cross-on, so it won't be as clean as that Friday. Still, it's a lot of swell.

For a beginner, the 5 ft to 5 ft days later in the run might be a bit much. The best bet for a learner would be the clean 3 ft day on Sunday the 30th of August. For everyone else, the afternoon of Friday the 4th of September is the one to chase. The 18-second period and clean winds will make it a special session.

Rusty

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