Duds Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get this out there. Tough one today.

The next couple of weeks look pretty average, mate. For the area around Duds Reef, we’ve got a long stretch of nothing much to get excited about. In fact, there’s basically no surf worth paddling out for the first week. From Thursday 13th right through to Wednesday 19th, it’s all poor conditions – strong cross-shore winds, lumpy chop, and just messy waves. The swell’s there but the wind has it wrecked. Not worth a look.

On Saturday 15th, the swell jumps up to 10 ft from the East, period a short 9 seconds, and the combined energy hits 1732 – so there’s plenty of power. But with a near gale cross-shore wind at 31 mph, it’s all blown out. At 12 ft in the afternoon, that’s expert-only territory and even then it’s a mess. Honestly, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The second week doesn’t offer much hope either. From Thursday 20th onward, the swell drops right down to 2 ft to 3 ft, with periods getting long (16 to 18 seconds). That’s groundswell, which can mean clean lines, but the energy is weak – combined energy values sit between 262 and 594 – and the wind is mostly cross or cross-onshore. There’s a couple of marginal days, like Thursday 20th afternoon and Friday 21st afternoon, where the swell is small (2 ft to 3 ft) from the SSW, with light breezes, but it’s only scoring a 1 out of 10. Not worth a session.

Thursday 27th and Friday 28th see a bit more life – swell builds to 3 ft to 5 ft from the East, with period stretching to 16 to 17 seconds. The energy picks up to around 1285 to 1476, but the wind is still moderate cross-shore or cross-onshore, keeping things choppy. Friday 28th morning is the best of a bad lot, with 4 ft from the East, period 16 seconds, and energy at 1350. Still only a 2 out of 10 though.

Duds Reef is a reef break, exposed to swell from the SSE, and it’s fairly consistent normally. But with the wind direction locked in from the ENE for most days, the cross-shore wind is just killing the quality. The water temp is 81°F, about average for this time of year, so at least it’s warm.

Bottom line: there are no real standouts in this 16-day window. It’s a long stretch of poor to marginal surf. If you were hoping for a good session, you’re going to be disappointed. Forecasts can change, but right now it’s a blank run.

– Rusty

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