Blacks Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m lookin’ at the next couple of weeks at Blacks Reef. We’ve got a bit of a rough start, but there’s some real magic hiding in there if you’re patient.

Right now, the water’s sitting at 54°, which is a bit colder than we’d usually expect for this time of year, so you’ll want that extra rubber.

The first few days are a write-off. Sunday the 26th through Tuesday the 28th are all onshore junk with poor surf conditions. The swell is there, but the wind is just messing it all up. The combined energy is moderate to strong, but it’s not worth paddling out for.

Then, Wednesday morning the 29th is where it finally turns on. We’ve got clean conditions with a light cross-offshore breeze from the NNW. The swell is a solid 6 ft from the SE, with a period of 13 seconds – that’s a proper groundswell. The energy is moderate (1117), and the description says it’s excellent for experienced surfers. This is the standout of the whole forecast. Blacks Reef handles a SE swell well, and with that wind, it’s going to be lined up and hollow. Grab it early.

Wednesday afternoon and Thursday the 30th stay clean, but the swell drops a bit. Still good fun, but the morning is the peak.

We get a bit of a lull from Friday the 31st through Saturday the 1st. The swell is smaller, around 2 ft to 3 ft, but it’s clean. It’s a long-period groundswell, so the sets will be fat and slow, better for a longboard or a quiet session.

Now, Sunday the 2nd of August, things get heavy again, but it’s a mess. A big 11 ft to 16 ft S swell rolls in, but the wind is howling cross-onshore. The energy is huge (3045 to 5718), but it’s just a washing machine. Honestly, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The whole of the first week of August is blown out with strong S winds and big, lumpy swell. Monday the 3rd and Tuesday the 4th are a no-go with 16 ft+ waves and onshore gales. Not for the faint of heart.

There’s a glimmer on Wednesday the 5th of August. The swell drops to 10 ft from the SE, and the wind is very light, but it’s still cross-onshore. It’s rated as marginal, but with the energy still strong (3005), it might be worth a look if you’re desperate.

The real second chance comes on Thursday the 6th of August. The morning is clean with a cross-offshore NNW wind and a 8 ft SE swell. The energy is moderate (1376), and it’s described as excellent for experienced surfers. That’s a solid morning session, though the swell is a bit big for beginners.

After that, the swell fades into the weekend of the 8th and 9th, but the wind turns onshore again, so it’s back to poor conditions.

The Monday the 10th of August is all onshore, big, and messy. A long run of poor surf to end the forecast.

So, to sum it up for you: Wednesday morning the 29th is the absolute best on offer. Clean, solid groundswell, and the reef will be working. Thursday the 6th is your second-best bet, but it’s a bit more powerful. The rest of the time, you’re either fighting the wind or the swell is too small.

Stay patient, and you’ll get a couple of sick ones.

- Rusty

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