Blacks Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab your board, let’s see what we’ve got here. We’re looking at Blacks Reef for the next couple of weeks, and it’s a bit of a mixed bag. The water’s running a bit colder than usual for this time of year at 54°, about 3° cooler, so you might want an extra mm of rubber.

We kick things off on Thursday morning, August 13th. It’s not the biggest swell, but the conditions are surprisingly tidy with a light offshore wind from the NE. You’re looking at a clean 3ft SE swell, 9-second period, with moderate wave energy (200). It’s easy, fun, and beginner-friendly, but don't expect any power.

The rest of Thursday and all of Friday, August 14th, drops off into nothing. Tiny, weak, and crossed up. A dead zone for surfing. Saturday, August 15th, the swell starts to bump up to 7ft from the east, but the wind is all wrong – cross-shore – and the energy is strong (702), but the quality is messy, especially in the afternoon. Not a standout.

Then we hit a real ugly stretch. From Sunday, August 16th, through to Wednesday, August 19th, the wind goes howling onshore from the south and southwest, blasting the place. Swell sizes jump from 8ft all the way up to 15ft, with very strong energy (over 5000). This is not for paddling. This is for experts only, if you can even handle the closeouts and the wind. The break is exposed, and the southerly wind is straight on it. Honestly, this looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing those few days.

Conditions start to clean up from the 20th, but it’s still onshore or crossed-up until we get to the true standout window.

Friday, August 21st, is the pick of the entire outlook. The morning is glassy, with a clean 5ft S swell and a nice long 11-second period. Moderate energy (689) and light offshore wind from the NW. This is groundswell quality. It will be lined up and clean. The afternoon holds clean too, with a cross-offshore breeze.

Saturday, August 22nd, is still decent, with a glassy afternoon and a 4ft S swell. Good, but not as good as Friday.

Then there’s a lull till the next real highlight right at the tail end of the period.

Tuesday, August 25th rolls around, and this is the other standout. The morning is glassy again, with a 6ft S swell packing a very long 14-second period. That’s real groundswell energy (1092). This will have plenty of power and shape, but keep in mind, at a reef setup like this, that long period will wrap in nicely. It’s clean, powerful, and excellent for experienced surfers.

After that, the winds stay favorable through the 26th, with offshore breezes and clean 4ft S swell, before it all fades to flat and choppy again at the end of the month. So, if you want the best, aim for the morning of Friday the 21st, or the morning of Tuesday the 25th.

Rusty.

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