Danger Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s coming our way. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, but there are a few moments that’ll get the blood pumping if you time it right.

Right now, we’ve got a bit of a wait. The surf is pretty much blown out to start with, so don’t bother paddling out on Tuesday the 28th. That strong onshore wind and big, messy swell are making a proper mess of things out at Danger Reef. The water temp is sitting about average for the time of year, nothing unusual there.

Things start to look a little more interesting from Wednesday morning the 29th. The swell drops a notch, but it’s still on the cross-on wind and the waves are just marginal. Not worth getting too excited about yet.

Thursday the 30th morning is when we start to see a real change. The wind goes glassy, and we’ve got a clean 5ft SW groundswell rolling in with a 13-second period. The combined energy is moderate (795). It’s on the smaller side, but that glassy surface is a beauty. The break at Danger Reef is a reef setup, so that longer period groundswell can really line up nicely here. It’s fairly consistent, but crowds are often a factor, so get in early for a quiet one.

Friday the 31st through the weekend is looking a bit lacklustre - small, onshore, and weak. The waves drop below 4ft and the energy fades (570 down to 384). Not the best, but the winds do turn favourable Saturday and Sunday mornings with clean glassy conditions, making those little waist-high waves rideable.

Now, here’s the standout to circle in your calendar. Monday the 3rd of August morning we get a proper pulse. The swell jumps to 7ft from the SW with a 14-second groundswell. The combined energy is strong (1722). And the wind? Glassy. Dead flat, no ripples. This is going to be excellent for experienced surfers, but at over 7ft, it’s getting a bit spicy for beginners.

If you’re an experienced charger, Wednesday the 5th of August afternoon is the absolute pick of the entire outlook. We’re looking at a solid 10ft SW swell, with a 14-second period, pumping out a very strong combined energy of 3352. The wind goes offshore. That means clean, powerful, hollow lines at Danger Reef. This one will be a proper session, but it's expert territory at that size.

The following week, from Thursday the 6th, it stays big (12ft and 10ft) but the wind starts to get a bit feisty. Thursday morning sees a moderate cross-off breeze, so it’ll be clean but a bit bumpy. By Friday the 7th, strong crosswinds blow it out again.

There’s another window on Saturday the 8th morning with a clean 5ft swell and gentle offshore wind, but the energy is moderate (885). It’s a solid choice if the big stuff earlier in the week was too much.

The very end of the run (the 11th and 12th of August) looks big again, with 10ft and 8ft SW swells and strong wave energy (over 2700), but the onshore and cross-on winds are likely to make it a bit messy and choppy. It’s a gamble at that point.

So, for my money, the absolute standout is Wednesday the 5th of August afternoon – that big, clean, offshore SW swell at Danger Reef. Get on it if you can handle it.

Rusty.

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