Long Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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

First up, we’ve got a bit of a slow start to the week, but don’t let the flat spells fool you – there’s some serious juice coming later. The next few days are ordinary, but we’ve got a solid run of swell building from the south, and the standout window is shaping up to be a cracker.

Thursday 23rd is a write-off, really. There’s a tiny bit of recovery from the ENE, but the conditions are just ordinary. Not worth paddling out for.

Friday 24th sees a pulse of S swell come through, but the wind is a pain. Friday morning 7ft S swell at 10 seconds from the south, but with a cross-off wind, it’s messy. The afternoon drops to 5ft, but the onshore wind kills it. Keep your board in the car.

Saturday 25th is where it gets interesting. The morning looks tidy: 6ft S swell at 11 seconds, with a clean offshore W breeze. That’s a solid groundswell with good energy, and the wind will groom it nicely. The combined energy is strong (707). The afternoon goes glassy as the wind drops to nothing – 4ft S swell, no wind, clean. That’s a really nice session for anyone who can handle the reef.

Sunday 26th is a repeat of Saturday morning in terms of size and period – 6ft S, 11 seconds, offshore W wind. Another very good session, but the afternoon gets blown out by onshore E wind. Get your fix early.

Monday 27th and Tuesday 28th drop right off. The swell is tiny and the wind is all over the shop. The combined energy plummets into the double digits (51, 42). It’s flat.

Wednesday 29th is even smaller, with a long period (19 seconds) but only 0.7ft. That’s just a ghost swell. No go.

Then, Thursday 30th – this is the big one. The swell jumps to 10ft S at 9 seconds with a gentle offshore wind. The combined energy is massive at 1535. This is a solid, powerful swell. The wind is clean, but this is not for beginners. Over 8ft, it’s expert territory. The period is a bit short (9 seconds) so it will be a bit crumbly and less organised than a long-period groundswell, but there’s plenty of push. The afternoon gets even bigger at 13ft, but the wind is stronger (30 km/h) and cross-off, making it a bit messy. Honestly, for the average punter, this is more of a show than a go. The setup might be better for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Friday 31st stays big with 10ft S swell, but the wind is nasty – strong and cross-off from the SSW. The conditions will be rough. This is for the die-hards only.

Saturday 1st August backs off a bit, with 7ft SSE swell, cross-off wind, and the morning is marginal. The afternoon improves to 6ft, with a cleaner cross-off and very good conditions. That’s a solid option for the weekend.

From Sunday 2nd onward, the swell fades quickly. By the middle of the following week, we’re back to small, weak surf with poor wind. The combined energy drops to 75, 88, 130 – just ordinary.

The best of the best? Without a doubt, Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th mornings are the pick. The swell is solid, the wind is offshore or glassy, and the water temp is a normal 62°F for this time of year. The reef at Long Reef handles this S swell well, and with the clean conditions, you’ll get some proper waves. The other standout is the big pulse on Thursday 30th, but that’s for experts only. The crowds are possible here, so get there early.

Rusty out.

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