Cardiff Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – the next sixteen days around Cardiff Reef are looking pretty flat and messy, with no real standouts. The swell is small, the wind is onshore or cross-onshore most of the time, and the scores reflect that. It’s one of those stretches where you’re better off waiting for a proper swell.

The whole run kicks off on Thursday, August 13, and it’s a bit sad. Thursday morning you’re looking at a tiny 2ft SW groundswell with a solid 16-second period, but the wind is cross-on from the WSW at 6 mph, so it’s lumpy and small. The combined energy is weak (270). It’s basically a marginal session – you might get a few, but don’t hold your breath. Thursday afternoon barely improves: 3ft SW, 16-second period, but the wind turns onshore, and the wave energy jumps to moderate (409) but the conditions are poor.

Friday, August 14, stays the same tune. Morning has 2ft SSW groundswell with an 18-second period – that’s a very long-period groundswell, which can make for clean lines at a reef, but the wind is onshore at 9 mph. Wave energy is moderate (547) but messy. Afternoon gets 3ft SSW, 18 seconds, moderate energy (733), still onshore. You’re battling ripples.

Saturday, August 15, is more of the same: 3ft SSW, 16 seconds, onshore wind, moderate energy (615) in the morning, and 4ft SSW, 16 seconds, moderate energy (705) in the afternoon. The bump in size to 4ft is the biggest we see, but the onshore wind chops it up. This is a reef break, very consistent, and it gets crowds sometimes, but with conditions this poor, you’ll likely have it to yourself.

Sunday, August 16, morning has 3ft SSW, 15 seconds, still onshore, moderate energy (516). Afternoon the swell drops to 3ft, period drops to 14 seconds, wind is onshore from the WNW – poor.

From Monday, August 17, right through to Friday, August 28, it’s a long slog of 2ft to 3ft SSW and SW groundswells, periods between 13 and 19 seconds, with onshore or cross-onshore winds almost daily. Wave energy stays weak to moderate (between 157 and 461). A few sessions get a “marginal” tag, but mostly it’s poor. The one glimmer: on Sunday, August 23, you get 2ft SW with a super-long 19-second period and moderate energy (425), but the wind is onshore from the WNW – frustrating.

Bottom line: if you’re desperate, the best shot might be the early mornings of Friday, August 14, or Saturday, August 15, with the longest-period swell, but the onshore wind kills the quality. Don’t expect anything clean or punchy. This reef needs a proper SW groundswell with offshore winds, and we’re not getting that.

Stay patient, mate.
Rusty.

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