Anne Street Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, with your local surf outlook for Anne Street Reef. Let’s cut to it – the whole 16-day window is a bit of a struggle, with a big gap to start and only a couple of fleeting moments that might be worth a paddle.

First thing to note: there’s no surf on offer right now, and the first proper chance doesn’t show up until Tuesday morning, the 25th of August, and even then it’s a very ordinary one. The main pattern is a persistent run of poor surf conditions, with cross-onshore winds and choppy water, leaving the reef mostly flat or messy. The water temperature is sitting at 68°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year – about 2° cooler than your average August day, so you’ll feel that chill.

The real standout? It’s a tough call, but the best moment comes in the second week. On the morning of Tuesday, 1st September, you’ll find a nice window. The morning kicks off with clear skies and a light cross-offshore breeze from the south at 9 mph, cleaning up the waves nicely. The swell bumps up to 5 ft from the ESE, with a combined energy of 232 (moderate energy). The water’s holding steady, but there’s no temperature anomaly noted for that day. This is the only morning that gets a “good surf conditions” nod, so if you’ve got a window, that’s the one to aim for – clean, glassy-like conditions, and the reef will handle that ESE swell well. The wind is gentle, so expect tidy lines.

Before that, there’s a handful of slots that are “surfable but very ordinary.” The morning of Wednesday, 26th August, offers a brief clean-up with offshore wind from the WSW at 6 mph, pushing 3 ft swell from the ENE with moderate energy (98). It’s tiny but rideable if you’re desperate. The afternoon of the same day gives you 2 ft from the east with a light cross-offshore breeze, again clean but small. The morning of Thursday, 27th August, gets a spike in energy (127) but it’s a cross-shore wind from the SSE at 16 mph – messy and not worth it. The morning of Tuesday, 2nd September, is glassy with a NNE breeze at 3 mph, 4 ft from the east, moderate energy (184), but the wave comment says “surfable but very ordinary” – it’s a second-choice option.

From the 3rd of September onwards, the surf flatlines hard. Swell drops to 1 ft with periods as low as 8 seconds, and the combined energy falls to 44-105, weak to moderate. Winds stay cross or cross-onshore, and the conditions are consistently poor. By the 6th of September, there’s a hint of a long-period swell from the SE at 13 seconds, but it’s only 1 ft and cross-onshore – not enough to get excited about. The rest of the week is a dud, with tiny waves and unfriendly winds.

Keep in mind, Anne Street Reef is a very consistent spot, so it’s unusual to have such a long blank run. The forecasts can change, so don’t write off the whole window if you’re keen. But for now, the only true standout is that Tuesday morning, 1st September – clean, moderate swell, and a reef break that’ll handle it. Crowds are possible here, so if you’re heading out, expect a few locals.

Rusty signing off.

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