Long Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, it’s Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the menu for the next couple of weeks. We’ve got a mixed bag of conditions coming up, so we need to pick our moments.

We start off with a bit of a slow start. The first real surfable session isn't until Sunday, the 23rd of August. It’s not a massive swell, but there’s some decent energy in the water. The best of the early action looks like it will be on Sunday morning. Long Reef will be the spot to paddle out at. The swell is coming in at 4.6ft from the south with a period of 9 seconds, and the wind is a perfect glassy 3 mph from the northeast. The water temp is sitting at 62.8°, which is about 1.4° cooler than usual for this time of year, so it’s not a major anomaly, just a bit of a chill. The combined energy is moderate (374). It’s going to be clean, glassy, and with that south swell wrapping in, it should be a fun morning.

Monday the 24th is a write-off with cross and cross-onshore winds, so we skip that. Tuesday the 25th morning has a bit of a bump, with 4.9ft swell from the northeast, but the period is a short 7 seconds. It’s a clean, cross-off wind, but that short period makes it a bit bouncy, so not a standout.

Now, Thursday the 27th morning is where things get interesting. We’ve got a solid 5.6ft swell from the south, 9-second period, and glassy conditions with a 3 mph wind from the SSE. The combined energy is strong (552). This is a very good session on offer. The water is still average for the time of year, but the quality of the waves will be the focus. This is a standout for sure.

Friday the 28th morning is also clean, with a 3.3ft south swell, a 12 mph offshore from the WSW, and a 9-second period. The energy is moderate (307). It’s a good, clean morning but not as punchy as Thursday.

The real gem of the whole forecast looks to be Saturday the 29th of August. The morning session has a 6.2ft swell from the SSE, 9-second period, with a light cross-off wind from the northwest at 6 mph. The combined energy is strong (655). This is the biggest, cleanest window of the period. The water is the same, but the waves are set to be excellent. This is the one to circle on the calendar.

The afternoon of the 29th remains good, with the swell dropping to 3.9ft and glassy conditions, but the morning is the clear winner.

The following week, from the 30th of August onwards, the quality drops off. We get some bigger swells, like 6.2ft on the 30th afternoon and 5.6ft on the 31st morning, but the winds turn cross or cross-onshore, making it messy. The energy on the 30th afternoon is very high (1313), but with poor wind direction, it’s not going to be clean. The 31st morning has a 5.6ft south swell with a long 12-second period, but the cross-shore wind spoils it. The energy is very strong (1002), but the texture won’t be there.

By the 1st of September, we get a clean afternoon with a 3.3ft south swell and a 12 mph offshore wind from the WNW. The period is long at 12 seconds, which is good for shape, but the size is small. The energy is moderate (324). It’s a salvageable session.

After that, from the 2nd of September onward, the swell drops right off, with most days seeing waves under 3.3ft and very low energy. The 2nd morning is glassy but tiny at 2.0ft, and the 7th of September afternoon has a 4.3ft wind swell from the NE with a terrible 5-second period, which is just wind chop. It’s a long, dry gap of poor surf from the 2nd all the way through the 7th.

So, the standout sessions are the morning of Thursday the 27th of August and the morning of Saturday the 29th of August. The 29th is the big one.

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