Long Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

The next couple of weeks are a real mixed bag. We’ve got a bit of a wait on our hands before anything gets truly worthwhile, with a lot of junky, onshore slop to sift through first. The water is a bit colder than usual for this time of year, at about 62.2°, so you’ll want the rubber on.

The first few days are a write-off. Friday afternoon has a weak, short-period 3.9ft south swell with a cross-offshore breeze, but it’s just not doing anything. The energy is weak (218), and it’s not going to be worth the paddle. Saturday morning brings a slightly better 4.9ft south swell with a cross-offshore breeze and a period of 9 seconds, and it does look clean. This is the first real chance to get wet, but it’s not a standout. The energy is moderate (656), but the wind is a bit tricky. By Saturday afternoon, the wind swings onshore and the whole thing falls apart into a cross-chop.

Sunday through to Thursday of the first week is pretty grim. We’ve got a lot of wind-affected, weak surf. The swell stays small, the period is short, and the winds are mostly cross or onshore. There’s a morning on Wednesday the 19th where it goes glassy with a small, short-period 3.3ft swell, but it’s just ordinary. The energy is weak (187). This is a ‘check the cam and maybe squeeze one in if you’re desperate’ kind of session, not something to plan around. The period is 7 seconds, so it’s going to be mushy and lacking any punch.

The weekend of the 16th-17th is a total bust. Nothing doing. Then things start to get a bit interesting as we head into the back half of the month. The period numbers start to climb, but the wind is still messing with us.

The real firecracker is the Tuesday the 25th, early in the morning. We’re looking at a proper groundswell, 11.5ft at 11 seconds from the south. The energy is huge (5029). It’s glassy with a slight air, and this is the big standout of the entire window. Long Reef is an exposed reef, so it can handle this kind of size, but this is only for experts. It’s way over the 8ft mark, so it’s strictly big-wave territory. The conditions look absolutely perfect for it early, but the wind will swing onshore later. This is the one to circle on the calendar. It’s a week and a half out, so it’s promising but not locked in.

Before that, the morning of Monday the 24th has a clean, glassy 4.6ft SSW swell with a good period of 8 seconds. The energy is moderate (463). It’s a decent, clean option, but it’s nothing compared to what’s coming the next day. That Tuesday morning is the one.

After the big day, the swell backs off but the quality stays okay for a bit. The morning of Wednesday the 26th sees a still-oversized 8.2ft south swell, but the wind goes cross, and it’s marginal. Not one for the average punter. By the morning of Friday the 28th, it’s dropped to a clean, glassy 5.2ft SE swell with a 10-second period. That looks like a much more manageable wave, with solid energy (462). A few days after the big one, this could be a classic example of the reef handling the leftover long-period energy well.

There’s a long stretch of mediocrity before and after that peak, but with a clean window on the 24th and the main event on the 25th, it’s worth the wait.

Read more