Danger Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s cut straight to it. The next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag for our stretch of coast. We’ve got a solid run of swell, but the wind and tide are going to be the real players here. There are some proper standouts if you pick your moments, but there’s also plenty of chop and blown-out junk to dodge.

First up, looking at the start of the period. Tuesday the 18th has some size, with a 7ft SW swell in the morning, but that onshore SSE wind is going to make it messy. The afternoon picks up to 8ft but the cross-onshore breeze kills it. Not worth paddling out. The next few days are pretty much the same story – there's swell in the 5ft to 10ft range, but the wind is mostly cross-onshore or choppy. Wednesday afternoon the 19th has a bit of a cleaner look with a light cross-shore breeze on a 7ft SW swell, but it’s not going to be anything special. The energy is moderate at best, with the combined energy hovering around the 1200 to 2000 range.

Now, keep an eye on Saturday the 22nd. The morning is still questionable, but the afternoon is where it gets interesting. We’ve got a 10ft SW swell with a 12-second period, and the wind swings to a light cross-offshore NNW breeze. The combined energy jumps to 2116, and the file says it’s excellent for experienced surfers. This is one of the better windows early on. It’s on the bigger side, so it’s not one for the beginners, but for the crew who want a proper session, this is your chance.

After that, we drop back down to smaller, more marginal surf through the end of August. The 24th and 25th are pretty weak, with the swell dropping below 4ft and onshore winds making it a mess. The 25th has a pulse of 7ft SW swell, but the SE wind is howling at 19 mph, which makes it just poor. That’s a definite skip.

The magic window starts on Wednesday the 27th. The morning has a small 3ft WSW swell, but it’s glassy with a light offshore NW wind. It’s clean, but tiny. The real gem is the Thursday afternoon on the 28th. We have a 6ft SW swell jumping to a 10ft SW swell with a long 16-second period on the morning of Friday the 29th. That’s a proper groundswell. The morning of the 29th is an exceptional call – the combined energy is a huge 5607, and with a light offshore breeze, it’s going to be firing. This is the standout of the whole run. The swell is over 8ft, so it’s strictly for experts, and it’ll be breaking hard and fast. This is the one to wait for.

After that, we get a bit of a lull. The 30th has some size but the wind is on it, and the 31st Monday brings another excellent window with a strong 8ft SW swell and moderate offshore NNW winds. The energy is strong at 3092, and the conditions look clean. That’s another solid pick, especially if you missed the Friday session. Into September, the first couple of days drop off in size but the wind stays clean, with a glassy morning on Wednesday the 2nd with a 4ft SSW swell.

So, the long-range standout is definitely the Friday the 29th morning – that 10ft SW groundswell with light winds is the one to circle on the calendar. The Thursday afternoon on the 28th is also worth it, but that Friday is the big one. As for the rest, it’s a lot of average stuff with plenty of chop, so be selective.

One more thing – with the water temp, it’s about average for this time of year, so don’t expect any surprises. The quick lulls with onshore winds and swell over 7ft at Danger Reef might appeal more to the kite crew than the paddle surfers, especially on the 25th and the 29th when the SE wind is howling.

Keep your eyes on the forecast for that Friday, but don't get too excited about the rest.

Rusty out.

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