Fall Bay Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at the options for this stretch of coast.

First up, we have a single spot to talk about – Fall Bay Reef. It’s a reef break, fairly exposed to the swell, and it likes a good southwest groundswell. The water temp is sitting at 69°, which is a whopping 8° warmer than usual for this time of year. That’s very unusual, so you’re basically getting tropical bathwater conditions right now.

Right out of the gate, Wednesday morning is a write-off. You’ve got a tiny 3ft swell from the WSW with a short period of 6 seconds. The combined energy is weak at 62, and while the wind is cross-off, the size just isn’t there. Wednesday afternoon is worse – wind swings onshore and goes to 18 mph, making everything lumpy. No go.

Thursday the 20th, morning brings a bump up to 5ft from the WSW, period stretching to 8 seconds, and energy jumps to 282 – that’s moderate energy. The wind is cross-off, so it’ll be clean. It’s flagged as marginal due to tide, so you’d need to pick the right window. Thursday afternoon fades. Friday the 21st has glassy offshore winds, but the swell drops right back to 2ft and smaller. It’s just a puppy.

We then hit a real dry spell. From Saturday the 22nd all the way through to Tuesday the 26th morning, it’s flat or near-flat. You’re looking at swells under 1ft, with energy scraping the bottom. The wind does anything it wants, but there’s nothing to ride.

The real standout pops up on Wednesday the 26th. The morning starts with a glassy 3ft from the WSW. Period is a standard 8 seconds, and the energy is a moderate 131. But it’s the afternoon that’s the pick of the whole forecast. The swell builds to 5ft from the WSW, period holds at 7 seconds, but the energy nearly triples to 349. The wind is a clean cross-off from the WNW at just 9 mph. This is the best session on offer. The reef break should handle the short-ish period well, and with that glassy window in the morning too, you’ve got a solid wedge of clean surf for a few hours.

Thursday the 27th and Friday the 28th are messy with onshore winds and the swell fading again. Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th have onshore and cross-onshore winds, with the swell struggling to hit 4ft. It’s choppy and not worth your time.

Towards the end, Monday the 31st shows another pulse. The morning has 5ft from the WSW at 9 seconds with an energy of 311, and clean cross-off winds. Promising but not as clean as the 26th. Monday afternoon jumps to 6ft, period 10 seconds, energy 640 – that’s strong energy. But the wind is a lumpy cross-shore at 18 mph. That will ruin the face. Tuesday the 1st and Wednesday the 2nd are marginal again.

Overall, there is really only one true standout: Wednesday the 26th of August, afternoon session. That’s where you’ll find the best combination of size, clean wind, and moderate energy. The morning is also worth a paddle. Everything else is either too small, too windy, or too messy. Expect a nasty flat spell from the 22nd to the 25th.

Stay sharp.

- Rusty

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