Hammonds Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it—this next 16 days is a tough one to watch. We’ve got a pulse of deep south swell filtering in, but the whole window is plagued by cross-onshore wind, which is just messing with any chance of clean surf every single day. There’s no standout window, no day to circle on the calendar. This is a proper dry spell.

We kick off with the first real opportunity on Tuesday morning the 25th of August at Hammonds Reef. Swell is tiny at 1.3 ft out of the SW, but it’s got some real grunt with a period of 16 seconds—a true groundswell that’s lining up well with the optimum direction for the spot. The water is 70.0°, which is 6.7° warmer than normal for this time of year; that’s seriously unusual, feels like a bath out there. The combined energy is weak (167), and the cross-on wind of 6 mph is just enough to rough the surface. The system says poor surf conditions, so it’s tough to get excited. It stays in that same rut right through until Wednesday afternoon the 26th, with the same tiny thigh-high lines and that persistent light cross-on breeze.

We get a slight shift Thursday morning the 27th. The wind goes straight onshore from the SSW at 6 mph, the swell jumps a touch to 2.0 ft out of the S, and the energy pushes up to moderate (267). It’s grey and cloudy, and the surface is unknown, so not much to chase. Thursday afternoon, the wind drops to nearly nothing at 3 mph from the WSW, so you get a light cross-shore. The swell pushes to 3.0 ft from the S with a period of 11 seconds, energy is moderate (318). Still, the overall read is poor surf conditions—those lines are short-period and the cross-chop is there.

Friday the 28th looks similar. Morning sees a long-period groundswell at 1.6 ft from the SSW, with a period of 19 seconds—that’s a very long period, which means those sets will be fat and slow at this break. Energy is moderate (373), but that cross-on wind from the SW at 3 mph keeps it messy. Afternoon is a touch better with a cross-shore breeze, but the swell drops to 1.3 ft and the energy is down (230). Still poor.

Saturday the 29th is the most energetic day of the whole stretch. Morning swell comes in at 2.6 ft from the SSW, period 17 seconds—still that long-period groundswell—and combined energy hits a strong 481. But the wind is cross-on from the SW at 6 mph, with clear skies. The forecast is still poor surf conditions. It’s frustrating, because there’s enough energy there for a reef set-up like Hammonds, but the wind angle is just killing it. Afternoon the wind picks up to 9 mph from the WSW, gentle cross-shore with slight chop, energy still moderate (328).

Sunday the 30th, Monday the 31st, Tuesday the 1st of September… it’s just more of the same story: small swell between 1.3 ft and 2.3 ft, that constant light cross-on wind from the SW or WSW, and combined energy ranging from 126 to 285. Nothing changes. The swell direction rotates between S and SSW, the period stays between 11 and 14 seconds for most of it, but the surface is never clean.

Wednesday the 2nd, the wind on the morning is barely a breeze at 3 mph from the SW, still cross-on, with a 2.6 ft SSW swell at 11 seconds (energy 234). Afternoon drops to 2.0 ft, energy 232. Still poor. Thursday the 3rd afternoon sees a small bump back to 3.0 ft from the SSW at 14 seconds, energy 368, but the cross-on wind is still 6 mph. It’s the same damn story.

Friday the 4th is the last real spike. Morning swell 2.0 ft from the SSW, period 17 seconds (energy 348), afternoon pushes to 2.3 ft with a 17-second period and energy 385. Winds stay cross-on from the SW at 6 mph both sessions. The swell direction is snug to the optimum, the period is excellent for a reef, but the surf quality is still rated poor. There’s just this constant wind interference.

Saturday the 5th is similar: 2.3 ft to 2.6 ft, period 16 seconds, energy in the 280 to 366 range. Still cross-on. Sunday the 6th the wind goes straight onshore from the S, and the swell is only 2.0 ft to 1.6 ft. It fades into the final days, with Monday the 7th and Tuesday the 8th seeing tiny 1.3 ft SW swells with long periods of 17 to 18 seconds, but the wind is

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