Bronte Reef or Bunnies Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab a seat. Let’s talk about what’s cooking for the next couple of weeks at Bronte Reef or Bunnies. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, so I’ll walk you through it day by day, and we’ll find the one or two windows that are worth getting wet for.

First up, the water temp is sitting at 63°, which is a touch cooler than the long-term average for this time of year – about 1° off. Nothing crazy, but you’ll feel that slight chill on the early sessions.

We kick off the forecast period on Tuesday, the 1st of September. It’s not a total loss, but don’t expect fireworks. The swell is a modest 3 ft from the south, with a period of 11 seconds – that’s a decent groundswell, and the combined energy is moderate (178). The wind is cross-off from the NNW, light, so the morning will be clean. The afternoon gets a bit better, with the wind easing to a light breeze and the score picking up. It’s surfable, but it’s not going to blow your mind. Wednesday, the 2nd, sees the swell drop to 2 ft, still from the south, but the wind turns offshore from the NW. Clean lines, but the size is pretty small – better for a longboard or a funboard. The combined energy drops to 121 (moderate but weak). By Thursday, the 3rd, the swell fades even more to 2 ft, and Friday the 4th offers a slight bump back up to 3 ft from the south in the morning. Friday morning has clean conditions, cross-off wind, and moderate energy (223). That’s a potential session, but the afternoon turns ugly with a cross-onshore. Saturday the 5th is small again, with a strong offshore wind in the afternoon that makes it clean but hard to paddle into.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Sunday, the 6th, the swell picks up to 4 ft from the south, with a period of 11 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 301 (moderate), but the wind is cross-on from the SSE in the morning, making it a bit tricky. The morning is marginal, not terrible. Then Monday, the 7th, is a standout. The morning session delivers 4 ft from the south, 10-second period, clean conditions with a light cross-off breeze from the north. The combined energy is 337 (moderate). This is where I’d point my car. The waves are clean, the wind is light, and the reef will be working. The best bet for the whole week. Tuesday the 8th is a step down: 3 ft from the ENE, but choppy and cross-onshore in the afternoon. Not recommended.

Now, looking ahead to the second week, things get more interesting but also more dangerous. Wednesday, the 9th of September, the swell jumps to 8 ft in the morning, 8 ft in the afternoon, from the south. The period is 10 seconds, but the combined energy is massive – 1134 in the morning, 1944 in the afternoon. That’s strong to very strong energy. But – here’s the big warning – this swell is too big for Bronte Reef. It’s an exposed reef, but over 8 ft is expert-only territory, and even 8 ft is pushing it for most. The wind is cross-shore, then onshore, and the reports say the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. So, unless you’re a seasoned charger and know the reef’s ledges, skip this one. Thursday the 10th is even bigger in the morning – 8 ft, 12-second period, 2046 combined energy (very strong). The wind is light cross-off, clean, but again, it’s too big. Friday the 11th sees a drop to 5 ft, but the wind is cross-shore, and the energy is moderate (395). It’s marginal, not great.

After that, the swell fades fast. Saturday the 12th is tiny (2 ft), and from Sunday the 13th through to Wednesday the 16th, it’s mostly small, weak, and messy. The 16th of September has a tiny 2 ft from the ENE in the morning, with a light cross-off wind, but the combined energy is a paltry 43 (very weak). The afternoon gets glassy, but the waves are only 2 ft. Not worth the paddle.

So, the verdict: The best session on offer is Monday morning, the 7th of September. Clean, 4 ft from the south, light cross-off wind, and the reef will be tidy. That’s your window. The second shout is Friday morning, the 4th of September, but it’s a smaller, weaker version. Everything else is either too small, too windy, or too big. The big stuff on the 9th and 10th is a real possibility, but you’d need to be a confident expert, and even then, the reports say it’s too big for this spot. For the rest of us, wait for that Monday morning.

Anyway, keep an eye on the forecasts, because it can change, but for now, that’s the story.

Rusty.

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