Jarosite Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Looks like we’ve got a solid run of swell lining up for Jarosite Reef, but you’ve gotta pick your moments. The coming days start small but build into some serious size, so let’s break it down.

The first decent surf arrives Thursday 6th August morning with a clean 2ft SW groundswell, period a juicy 16 seconds, and a gentle offshore breeze from the NW – that’s going to be glassy and lined up. The combined energy is moderate (223). It’s small but clean, and the water temp is about average for this time of year, so nothing wild there.

Friday 7th August is the real standout early on. Morning has 4ft SW swell, 16 seconds, light offshore wind, and the energy jumps to moderate (577). By afternoon it goes glassy with 3ft SW swell, 15 seconds, and energy up to 636. That’s as clean as it gets – perfect conditions for a reef break that likes consistent SW groundswell. Crowds are possible here, so get out early.

Saturday 8th August gets messy. The swell holds around 3ft SW but the wind swings N at 12 mph, cross-off, and the energy drops to 492. The conditions are marginal, and by Sunday 9th August it’s light rain with 19 mph NNE wind – that’s a fresh breeze making things lumpy. The swell drops to 2ft with weak energy (205). Not worth paddling out.

Then Monday 10th August things go nuts. Morning sees a 10ft SW groundswell, 19-second period, and combined energy is a massive 5790 – that’s very strong wave energy. That’s expert-only territory, and while the wind is cross-off at 12 mph, it’s still going to be a handful. Afternoon drops to 4ft SW with 17 seconds and offshore wind, energy 2276 – excellent for experienced surfers. The size is serious, so if you’re not solid, watch from the rocks.

Tuesday 11th August and Wednesday 12th August keep the swell around 4ft to 6ft SW, with periods 14 to 17 seconds, but the wind is cross-off or moderate offshore, keeping things clean. Energy stays moderate to strong (543 to 1710). Good surfing, but not the standout.

Thursday 13th August morning has 7ft SW, 16 seconds, cross-off breeze, and energy 2161 – that’s strong and clean, but again only for experienced surfers. Afternoon goes cross-shore with a 7ft SW, so it gets a bit crinkly.

Friday 14th August offers 8ft SW, 18 seconds, and energy 3945 – very strong. Morning has gentle offshore wind, so it’s big and powerful. That’s a day for the experienced crew only. Saturday 15th August drops to 6ft SW, 16 seconds, with light offshore wind in the morning, energy 1675 – still strong, but more manageable.

From Sunday 16th August onward, the swell fades and the wind gets tricky. Sunday morning has 5ft SSW swell, 15 seconds, but cross-shore wind, and by afternoon it’s onshore at 9 mph from the SE. The energy drops to 1041. Monday 17th and Tuesday 18th August see the swell drop to 2ft to 3ft SW, with weak to moderate energy (234 to 401), and the wind is mostly cross or cross-on. Not great.

Wednesday 19th August gets 19 mph NNE wind, cross-off, with 3ft to 4ft SW, 16 to 17 seconds, energy 530 to 574 – bumpy and blown out. Thursday 20th August returns to clean conditions with 3ft SW, 15 seconds, gentle offshore wind, and energy 637 – a nice little window again. Friday 21st August finishes with 6ft SW, 12 seconds, moderate offshore wind, and energy 804 – solid and clean.

If I had to pick one or two true standouts, it’s Friday 7th August for the glassy, clean conditions with shoulder-high groundswell, and Monday 10th August morning for the big gun session if you’re an expert. The rest is good but not epic.

Rusty.

Read more