Cudmirrah Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – the first week or so is a bit of a grind. But if you’re patient, there’s a proper little window of clean, groomed reef waves that could be worth the wait.

Let’s start with the early stuff. Tuesday the 18th kicks off with tiny, clean surf at Cudmirrah Reef. We’re talking a 2ft south swell with a period of 11 seconds, and the energy is only moderate (108). The wind is glassy in the morning, so the surface will be like a mirror, but the waves are small. The water temp is 63°F, which is pretty much normal for this time of year. The afternoon has a bit more energy (120) but the wind swings NE and turns cross-shore, chopping it up, so it’s not really worth paddling out for.

Wednesday the 19th the morning has a clean look with a light NNE cross-offshore breeze and a small 2ft ESE swell, but the period drops to 10 seconds. It’s surfable, but ordinary. The afternoon sees the swell bump up to 4ft from the ENE, but the period is a weak 5 seconds and the wind goes cross-shore again, making it messy.

Thursday the 20th through to Saturday the 22nd are all in the same boat – tiny waves, mostly under 2ft, and the energy is weak. Some mornings are glassy, but there’s just not enough swell to make it interesting. The combined energy is barely registering (values like 49, 25, 23). It’s a proper flat spell.

Sunday the 23rd we get a little pulse of south swell, 3ft with a 7-second period, and the morning is glassy. The energy jumps to 139, so there’s a bit more push, but it’s still pretty average. The following Monday the 24th is similar – 3ft south swell, glassy morning, energy up to 129. Still not a standout, but the cleanest we’ve seen so far.

The real interest starts building from Friday the 28th. The morning has a 3ft S swell with an 8-second period, and a clean west cross-offshore breeze. The energy is moderate (174). It’s surfable, but the real spark is the afternoon – 4ft S swell, still clean, and the energy jumps to 238. The wind stays offshore, so the reef will be working.

Now, here’s the one to circle. Saturday the 29th of August is the best on offer. The morning sees a solid 7ft SSE swell, 10-second period, with a clean west cross-offshore wind. The energy is strong at 728. That’s a proper groundswell, and for a reef setup like Cudmirrah, that’s going to produce some lined-up, punchy waves. The afternoon drops a little to 6ft, but the wind stays clean and the energy is still strong (582). This is the day for experienced surfers – 7ft is getting into the expert range, but it’s a reef break, so it will handle the size. The crowds are listed as “sometimes” here, so expect a few locals out, but it’s not a zoo.

The window closes fast, though. Sunday the 30th the swell jumps to 10ft, and then 15ft, but the wind swings south and cranks up to 18-22 mph cross-onshore. The energy is massive (1083, 3491, 5659 on Monday), but the surface is lumpy, choppy, and ugly. That’s kite-surfing territory, not paddle surfing. The same goes for the start of September – big, powerful swell, but the wind is cross-on or onshore, ruining the quality. The only glimmer is Tuesday the 1st of September morning, with an 8ft ESE swell, 11-second period, and a gentle SSW cross-shore breeze. The energy is very strong (2794), but the wind is just cross enough to put a slight chop on it. It’s a marginal call for the experts.

So, bottom line: the first week is a write-off. Saturday the 29th is your golden ticket – clean, solid, lined-up reef waves. Get in early.

Rusty.

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