Blacks Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. The next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag, but there are definitely some windows to keep an eye on.

First up, the water temp is sitting at 54°F, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll want the thick rubber.

The start of this stretch is a write-off, to be honest. Monday the 17th through Wednesday the 19th are all poor, with stormy, onshore southerly winds and a lot of energy in the water – we’re talking strong to very strong energy readings of 3288, 1605, all the way up to 5995. It’s lumpy, messy, and not worth your time. The swell is solid, 13 to 15ft, but it’s wind-blown and chaotic. Hold off.

Thursday the 20th is still pretty average. The swell drops a bit to 8ft but it’s crossed up and choppy, so only a 2/10 call. We’ve got a long way to go before this cleans up.

Here’s the first real highlight: Friday the 21st. The wind swings around to a light cross-offshore from the northwest, and we get a long-period, 16-second south swell at 5-6ft. The energy is moderate at 1683 and 1342. This is the cleanest, best-shaped surf we’ve seen so far. It’s a proper groundswell, so it’ll be lining up nicely. For experienced surfers, this is your window. The conditions are clean and the sets will have some push.

The weekend goes flat and rubbish. Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd see the swell fade to under 3ft, with cross-shore winds making it messy. Not worth paddling out.

Then things get interesting again early next week. Monday the 24th starts to pick up with a long-period (14-16 second) south swell, and by the afternoon we have 4ft of clean, cross-offshore surf. The energy is moderate at 531. Tuesday the 25th is even better, with 4-4ft of that long-period south swell, 18-19 second intervals, and light cross-offshore winds. The energy readings are 921 and 909. It’s clean and lined up. This is looking like a great couple of days. Keep your eye on it.

Wednesday the 26th is a bit more marginal, with a drop in period back to 10 seconds, but it’s still rideable. We get a bit more size at 5-5ft and some offshore wind in the morning.

Things get bigger and messier again later in the week. The 27th and 28th see a pulse of energy, but the wind is all over the place, and the conditions are either poor or marginal. The swell on the 28th gets up to 8-8ft, which is getting big, but the wind isn't cooperating.

But then we get what might be the pick of the bunch. Saturday the 29th of August. The wind goes light and cross-offshore in the morning, then glassy in the afternoon. We have a 6ft, 14-second south swell in the morning, easing to 5ft by the afternoon. The energy is moderate, at 1324 and 726. This looks like an excellent day for experienced surfers – clean, glassy, and with decent size. Mark it in the calendar.

After that, it fades fast. Sunday and Monday are tiny and unremarkable, and the energy just drops off a cliff. The last day of the month and into September is flat.

So, to sum it up: the standout days are Friday the 21st, and especially the run of Monday 24th to Tuesday 25th, with Saturday the 29th being the real gem if the long-range forecast holds.

Rusty out.

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