Jarosite Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s cut straight to it. The next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag for Jarosite Reef, with some proper windows of clean swell mixed in with some real duds. The water’s sitting at 56°F, which is about normal for this time of year, so no drama there.

First up, the early part of this week is pretty flat and uninviting. Sunday the 16th has a touch of swell, around 4ft, but it’s coming from the wrong angle, and that light onshore breeze is going to put a few ripples on it. Not worth getting wet for. Monday the 17th is much the same, a bit smaller, and the wind is still not helping. Tuesday and Wednesday are worse – the swell drops right away, and while the wind goes offshore, it’s blowing hard and the waves are just too small to do anything with. Honestly, if you’re a paddle surfer, these days are a write-off. The energy is weak, under 500 on Wednesday, so you’re just bobbing around.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Towards the end of the week, things start to fire up. Friday the 21st is the first real standout. Swell jumps to 3ft, but the period is pumping at 19 seconds, and the wind is solid offshore from the northwest. That’s clean, lined-up, proper reef waves. Energy is strong, hitting 1137, and the conditions are described as excellent for experienced surfers. This is the one to circle on the calendar. It’ll be a bit bigger on Saturday the 22nd, but the wind swings onshore and it gets messy, so that quality drops off.

The next big window is Sunday the 23rd. Another cracker. Swell is 6ft, still a solid 15-second period, and the wind is offshore again. This is going to be the biggest and cleanest day of the whole stretch. Energy is massive, over 1500. This is for the advanced crew, no doubt. But be aware, this one is a week out, so treat it as promising rather than locked in. The forecast can shift.

After that, it backs off a touch. Monday the 24th has a bit of clean swell, but the wind turns onshore in the afternoon and messes it up. The rest of the week is pretty poor. Strong winds, cross-shore junk, and the swell stays in the mediocre range. Not worth the drive.

Then, we get a little glimmer into the second week. Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th look like they’ll offer some cleaner, smaller waves in the 3-4ft range, with light winds. These are the sessions for the intermediate crew to get out and enjoy themselves, especially if you missed the big ones. The energy is moderate then, but the wind is light and it’ll be glassy.

So, to sum it up: the best on offer is definitely Friday the 21st and Sunday the 23rd. Friday is the pick for that long-period, lined-up perfection. Sunday is the pick for size and power. Both are for experienced surfers only, given the size and the reef. If you’re not that experienced, look to the weekend after for some smaller, cleaner waves. Just keep an eye on the charts, because anything over a week out is always a promise, not a guarantee.

Rusty.

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