Cudmirrah Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a good look at what’s coming our way at Cudmirrah Reef.

Honestly, for the next couple of weeks, it’s a bit of a slow burn. We’ve got a long stretch of tiny, weak swell and ordinary conditions to work through before anything with real punch shows up. The first real standout doesn’t arrive until the very end of August, so you’ll need some patience.

The immediate forecast is pretty grim. Tuesday the 18th starts off with a tiny 2ft south swell, but it’s glassy in the morning – that’s the only small mercy. The combined swell energy is weak (108). The water’s sitting at 63°F, which is bang on average for this time of year. After that, we’re stuck in a rut. From Wednesday the 19th all the way through to Sunday the 30th, it’s just day after day of knee-high mush. Swell heights mostly hover around 1.0ft to 2ft, periods are short, and the energy readings are pathetically low (often below 100). Winds are a mix of cross and onshore, keeping things messy. You’ll see a few clean pockets, like Thursday the 27th morning with a glassy 2ft wave, but it’s still too small to get excited about. This is a full-on flat spell.

Then, things finally change on Monday the 31st of August. A solid southerly groundswell pushes in, and it builds fast. Monday morning sees 8ft swell from the south, and by the afternoon it’s pumping at 10ft with a period of 10 seconds. The combined energy jumps to a strong 3339. Winds are cross-offshore from the west, which should keep it reasonably clean for such a big swell. This is a serious step up, but at 10ft, this is expert territory only. It’s a powerful, heavy reef break, so only the experienced crew should be looking at this.

That south swell hangs around for Tuesday the 1st of September, still a solid 10ft, but the wind shifts cross and onshore, making it less appealing. The energy remains very strong (1536 and 1343).

The standout window, the one to circle on the calendar, is Wednesday the 2nd of September. The swell drops to a still-chunky 6ft from the southeast, with a period of 10 seconds. The energy is still moderate-strong (1002). But the key here is the wind – a complete glass-off. Zero wind. This will make for clean, lined-up sets at the reef. It’s flagged for excellent conditions for experienced surfers. This is your best bet in the whole 16-day window. Given how rare a good day has been, this Wednesday morning is the one to aim for. The afternoon looks like it’ll get a bit chopped up as a light cross-shore fills in, so make the most of the morning.

So, in short: don’t bother for the first 13 days. Wait for the 31st if you’re an expert and like it big, but the real gem is the morning of the 2nd of September.

Rusty.

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