Jarosite Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, surf’s up… eventually. I’m Rusty, and I’ve been staring at the charts for our one and only spot on offer here: Jarosite Reef. It’s an advanced reef break, consistent, exposed to the southwest, and it needs that SW optimum swell direction to really light up. Don’t get too keen just yet, because the start of this 16-day window is a bit of a write-off.

We kick off Saturday, September 5th, with some heavy weather – risk of thunderstorms and a strong NW breeze blowing offshore at 22 mph. There’s a solid 5ft groundswell (15-second period) pushing in from the SW with a serious amount of energy (1203), but the conditions are just marginal. It’s surfable for the experienced crew, but you’ll be battling that wind. It cleans up a little Sunday morning, September 6th, with a drop to 3ft SW swell (14s) and a lighter WSW cross-offshore breeze (9 mph). The energy is still moderate (528), and you’ll get some clean lines, but it’s not exactly setting the world on fire.

The first real standout appears Tuesday morning, September 8th. The wind goes almost glassy – a whisper-light WNW cross-offshore at just 3 mph. That, my friends, is clean. We’ve got a 3ft swell, but the period is a super long 18 seconds (groundswell energy of 1014). This is a proper long-period groundswell. It’s going to groom up beautifully at this reef, offering excellent conditions for experienced surfers. Remember, that long period means the sets will be fat and powerful with long lulls – perfect for a reef.

We then hit a wall of swell. Wednesday, September 9th, sees the size jumping to a massive 13ft by the afternoon (SW, 19-second period), packing an insane 17113 energy. That’s too much for this break, even for the experts. It’s big, it’s lumpy, and the onshore wind is going to make it a washing machine. The rest of that week stays big and messy – 10ft, 8ft – with cross-onshore winds. Not our jam. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so don't expect any surprises.

We get a glimmer of hope on Sunday the 13th. A smaller morning sets up with clean, cross-offshore winds from the NNE (6 mph) and a 6ft SSW swell (14s). The energy is back down to a moderate 1142, and conditions look excellent for experienced surfers. It’s a clean window before the drop-off.

The following week, from the 14th onwards, the swell fades fast. Monday the 14th has tiny 3ft waves, Tuesday the 15th goes flat with 0.7ft. It’s a long, dull stretch. The only light at the end of the tunnel is Friday, September 18th. The afternoon brings a moderate offshore breeze from the NW (12 mph) with a nice 4ft SW swell (15s) and 598 energy. It's a clean, fun chest-high day that could be a real surprise. That’s your best bet in the second week, but it’s a long way out.

So, the standout of the whole period is Tuesday morning, September 8th – Jarosite Reef with that tiny wind and long-period groundswell. For the second week, keep an eye on Friday afternoon, September 18th. Otherwise, it’s a quiet end to the run.

Rusty.

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