H-Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get real about this forecast. The guidance shows just one spot lighting up, but the finder file is telling a sadder story. For the next couple of weeks, the conditions at H-Reef are looking pretty grim. We're looking at a long stretch of poor surf. To be honest, the whole 16-day window doesn't offer up a single good session. That's a long time to be staring at a messy ocean.

The swell direction is all wrong, coming from the east, which is not what this reef wants. The period is short and weak, just a junky windswell with periods of 7-9 seconds. The energy in the water is mostly moderate, but it's not directed here properly. You can see the combined energy reading is between 200 and 750, but it's all for nothing with the wind and direction.

We start off this Saturday, the 22nd, with a limp 6ft of east swell, but it’s marred by a moderate cross-shore wind, creating a cross-chop. It's just messy. It stays like this through the weekend, maybe popping to 6ft, but the wind stays on it, so it’s not worth getting excited about. On Monday the 24th, there’s a risk of a thunderstorm, but the surf quality doesn't change.

From the 25th through the 28th, the swell drops a touch to 4-6ft, but the wind never gives us a break. It's constantly cross-shore, keeping things lumpy. The energy weakens to around 200-350, and the swell period stays down around 7 seconds. That’s just not going to wrap into this reef. It's uninspiring.

As we hit the end of the month, the swell tries to pick up again. On the 31st, we see a push to 8ft, but the period is a short 8 seconds and it's coming from the ENE. The wind turns cross-onshore, making it fairly choppy. That isn't the recipe for this break. It's just a lot of water moving without any real shape.

Into the first week of September, we still have that cross-onshore wind messing things up. The size hovers around 6-7ft, but it's just not clean. It’s not the size that’s the issue, it's the wind and the junk period. With 7ft on Thursday the 3rd, it's getting up there in size, and while this is a reef, the short period and cross-chop just makes it a frustrating, bumpy mess. This size is also pushing past the fun zone for beginners.

The whole run culminates in a proper storm on Sunday the 6th of September. We're looking at gale-force winds hitting 43 mph from the NE. That's a complete write-off. Completely blown out. If you see anyone out there, they're just getting hammered. At that size (6ft) and with that wind, the setup looks way more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The water temp is sitting at 80°, which is about average for this time of year. That's the only thing that's on our side.

So, there it is. A solid 16 days of nothing worth paddling out for. It's a bummer, but the coast is what it is. Sometimes it just won't line up. The forecasts can change, but right now, this window is looking like a washout. Keep the boards in the car, but maybe don't wax them up just yet.

Rusty.

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