Fishermans Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s take a look at what’s on offer over the next 16 days for Fishermans Reef (Australia).

Honestly, mate, it’s a pretty grim stretch ahead. This is a very sheltered reef setup that needs a specific NE swell to even think about working, and even then, it rarely breaks. Looking through the whole 16-day window, there isn’t a single day with a decent score. It’s a string of "poor surf conditions" all the way through.

We start off with almost nothing. Tuesday the 25th and Wednesday the 26th have practically flat surf at 0.3ft, with a 10-second period. The wind is cross-off, so it’s clean, but there’s just no energy to push a wave through. Combined energy sits at a pathetic 8 to 11 (weak), so you’d be sitting there waiting for a bump that never comes.

Thursday the 27th morning is a tease—glassed out, 0.3ft, but again, nothing to ride. That afternoon the wind swings onshore from the NE at 12 mph, and it’s still 0.3ft. A complete write-off.

Friday the 28th sees a tiny bump in swell, up to 3ft to 3ft from the north, but the period drops to a shocking 4 to 5 seconds and the wind is a messy cross-onshore at 12 to 16 mph. Combined energy climbs to just 28 to 51 (weak). It’s choppy and pretty much unsurfable.

Saturday the 29th is the same story, just a bit bigger. The swell hits 4ft from the north with a 7-second period, and combined energy gets up to 114 (moderate). But with light rain and a cross-onshore wind, you’re looking at a bumpy, ugly surface. Not for paddling.

From Sunday the 30th right through to Wednesday the 2nd of September, things clean up. We get offshore and cross-off winds, delivering clean, glassy conditions. But the swell is tiny, sitting between 2ft and 2ft from the NNE or NE. Periods are around 7 to 10 seconds, and combined energy is between 66 and 91 (weak). It’s clean—but it’s barely a ripple. You might get the odd little knee-high wave, but don’t expect anything with push.

Thursday the 3rd of September is a messy day with cross-shore winds and light rain in the morning, then a fresh offshore in the afternoon. Swell drops further to 1ft to 2ft. Not worth paddling out.

The last few days of the outlook, from the 4th to the 9th of September, show some variety but no quality. There are glassy mornings and clean conditions, and the swell tries to pick up again. On Sunday the 6th of September, we see 5ft from the NNE, with a short 6-second period, and the energy jumps to 128 (moderate). The morning is clean with a slight air, but that afternoon the wind swings onshore from the NE at 6 mph, the swell jumps to 6ft, and the energy goes up to 243 (strong). For a break that’s very sheltered and rarely breaks, a 6ft NE swell with onshore wind and a period of just 6 seconds is going to be a full-on, messy closeout. This setup looks far more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Monday the 7th of September has a glassy start with 4ft from the north, a 7-second period, and 201 energy (strong). Again, the afternoon turns onshore and messy. The best chance of a clean wave in the whole period is actually that glassy Monday morning (September 7th), with a 4ft north swell. But given it’s a reef that needs the optimum NE direction, this north swell is not quite on the money, and the short period means it’ll be a bit fat and soft. The crowds at this spot are only "sometimes", so you might have it to yourself, but there’s not a standout session in the bunch.

Water temperature is about average for this time of year, nothing unusual to report.

To be blunt, there are no true standouts here. It’s a blank run, but for a rarely-breaking, very sheltered reef, that’s more normal than not. Forecasts can always change, but as it stands, you’re better off saving your energy.

Rusty.

Read more