Cudmirrah Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, I'm Rusty, and we're looking at Cudmirrah Reef for the next couple of weeks. This spot is an advanced, very consistent reef break exposed to swell out of the southeast. Right now, things are pretty flat and ordinary, but there's a massive pulse of energy coming in the second week that's got my attention.

It's a quiet start. Wednesday the 22nd has a small 3ft ENE swell with a 10-second period, and while the wind is a gentle offshore from the WNW, the wave energy is only moderate at 177. It's surfable, but very ordinary. Water temps are sitting at 64°, about 2° above normal, so nothing crazy. Thursday the 23rd is a write-off with tiny, poorly directed swells and onshore winds. The morning has a 2ft swell from the ENE but cross-off winds, and the afternoon turns messy with a 4ft S swell and cross-on winds.

Friday the 24th is where it starts to look interesting. The morning brings a cleaner 6ft swell from the SSW with a short 8-second period, but the wind is a light cross-off from the W, and the energy jumps to 739. The wave comment says expect very good surf conditions. That's a solid combo for the reef, even if the period is short. The afternoon switches to a 5ft S swell with a long 12-second period, but the ENE cross-on wind and a marginal surf call mean it's not quite as sweet.

Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th are both looking clean. Saturday morning has a 4ft S swell with a 10-second period, cross-off WNW winds, and moderate energy at 315. The afternoon gets glassy with a 3ft S swell at 11 seconds, which is a treat. Sunday morning is the standout of the first week: a clean, glassy 5ft S swell with a 10-second period and energy at 392. Expect good surf conditions. The afternoon is a bit more onshore, but the pattern is solid.

After a flat and weak Monday the 27th and Tuesday the 28th, the surf picks up again later in the week, but it's mostly messy. Nothing worth paddling out for until the following Monday.

Now, the big news. Monday the 3rd of August arrives with a punchy 6ft SSW swell, short 7-second period, but with a light W cross-off wind and energy of 766. Expect very good surf conditions again. But that's just the appetiser. On Tuesday the 4th of August, the swell goes apocalyptic: a massive 21ft swell from the south with a 13-second period overnight, and combined energy of 24,646. The wind is a gentle offshore from the NNW. This is a huge, powerful groundswell. The wave comment says it's predicted to be too big for the break. This is expert-only territory, and even then, you'd need a massive set of balls and a watercraft. The reef won't hold waves this size well for paddling.

Wednesday the 5th is still enormous at 20ft from the SSE, with a 13-second period and energy over 12,000. Winds stay cross-off from the west, but it's a borderline situation. Then Thursday the 6th of August is the true standout for the experienced crew: a 13ft SSE groundswell with a 12-second period, light cross-off WNW winds, and energy at 8,725. The wave comment calls it exceptional surf conditions for expert surfers. This is the best window in the entire 16 days. It's still huge, but it's cleaner and more manageable than the Tuesday peak. The long period means the reef will hold lines, but the beach break won't be your friend.

So to sum it up: the first week is small and patchy, with a few clean windows around Friday to Sunday. The second week has a couple of days of fun, manageable swell, then a massive, dangerous pulse. For the experienced surfer, Thursday the 6th of August is where you want to be. Just don't take a beginner out.

Rusty.

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