Danger Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Hey, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s coming up at Danger Reef.

Right now, Tuesday morning (September 8th) is your best early bet. There’s a clean 3ft swell from the south with an 11-second period. The combined energy is 410, so it’s moderate, but the wind is a light offshore from the NNW at only 3 mph. That’s going to leave the surface buttery smooth. The water temp is 55°F, which is a massive 6°F colder than normal – so you’ll want a thick wetsuit. This reef break is fairly consistent and exposed, so it should offer some nice rides for intermediates. Crowds are often a factor here, just a heads up.

From Tuesday afternoon through to the 12th, it gets ugly. Winds switch onshore and crank up, the swell mix gets messy, and the quality tanks. The swell does push up over 7ft on the 10th and 11th, but with onshore winds blowing 20-28 mph, it’s all chopped up. The energy gets huge – 1739 on Thursday morning, 4625 by Saturday afternoon – but it doesn’t matter with the wind howling onshore.

Things clean up on Monday, the 14th of September. The wind turns offshore from the northwest, bringing clean 3ft groundswell from the southwest with a 12-second period. The energy is 421 – moderate but organised. The offshore breeze is light to moderate, so the reef will be working well for a smaller, clean session.

The big one, though, is Tuesday the 15th of September. By the afternoon, we’ve got a solid 10ft swell from the southwest with an incredible 22-second period. The combined energy is a massive 7812. The wind is offshore from the northwest at 22 mph. This is going to produce big, powerful, clean waves. But let’s be real – 10ft with that period is strictly for experts. The wind will hold the faces up, but paddling into those sets will be a serious workout. The morning is also rideable with 4ft swell and a 26-second period, but the offshore wind is stronger at 25 mph, making it hard to get into. The afternoon is the prime window if you’ve got the skill.

After that, it drops off. Wednesday the 16th brings rain and onshore winds with an 12ft swell, but it’s messy. The energy is still massive (6422), but the quality is gone. The rest of the week into the 19th stays mostly poor with onshore winds and smaller swell around 4ft.

Then, we get a final clean moment on Sunday the 20th of September. The morning goes glassy – light east-southeast wind at only 3 mph, with a clean 5ft southwest swell at 13 seconds. The energy is 783 – moderate but clean. It won’t have the power of the 15th, but that glassy surface on a reef is a real treat. The afternoon gets choppy, so get out early.

Best of the fortnight is Tuesday afternoon the 15th, but only for experts. For the rest of us, Tuesday morning the 8th and Sunday morning the 20th offer clean, smaller waves with nice conditions. The rest is a write-off.

Stay safe.
- Rusty

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