Fall Bay Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let me level with you: this is a tough run for Fall Bay Reef. The whole 16-day window is a write-off for anything worth paddling out for. There's honestly no good surf on offer here. That "poor surf conditions" flag sticks to every single forecast row like a bad rash.

The issue ain't a lack of swell – we get a few decent bumps in energy, like that Thursday the 20th morning pushing 5ft and 243 (moderate energy). But the direction, period, and wind just never line up. It’s a cruel tease. Most of the first week and a half is plagued with cross-shore, onshore, or cross-onshore wind that just shreds any chance of a clean face. The water temp at the start of the period, Tuesday the 18th, is sitting at 69°, which is a massive 8° warmer than usual for this time of year – proper weird, like the ocean is running a fever.

There’s a real blank stretch here. After the first couple of messy days, the swell just drops away into tiny, weak dribble from the 21st through to the 27th. We're talking ankle-snappers with combined energy down in the teens and twenties. You might see a glassy morning on Sunday the 23rd, but that 0.7ft won't even break over your fins.

The only thing that even gets your attention is way off in the distance. Come Tuesday the 1st of September, a solid 8ft swell from the WSW shows up with a whopping 822 (strong wave energy) and clean, cross-off wind. But that’s over 8ft – strictly for the experienced crew only. The period is only 8 seconds too, so it'll be a bit walled and fat. And even then, the forecast still calls it poor quality. Honestly, for this stretch, the wind and swell just aren't friends. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing on most days when there's any size and strong cross-shore wind.

For a spot that’s already inconsistent, this kind of blank run is unfortunately pretty normal. Forecasts can change, but right now, your board stays on the rack.

Rusty.

Read more