Long Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the pipe for Long Reef.

We’ve got a solid run of days ahead, but it’s a bit of a mixed bag to start. The first real call for a surf this week is Wednesday the 16th, but honestly, it’s not much to write home about. We’ve got a big 12ft south swell rolling in with a 10-second period, but that wind is howling out of the SSW at 22 mph, blowing cross-off. The wave energy is massive – 2471 (moderate to strong) – but that wind is spoiling it. It’s gonna be lumpy and just not worth paddling out for. Thursday the 17th is a similar story: 10ft south swell, same direction, but the wind drops to a manageable 12 mph, still cross-off. The energy jumps to 3160 (strong), and the morning session looks cleaner, though still marginal. Thursday afternoon gets a bit of a reprieve with an ESE onshore at 6 mph, but the swell drops to 7ft and the energy falls to 768 (weak moderate), so it’s still not great.

Now, Friday the 18th is where it gets interesting. That morning, the wind goes glassy – dead calm, N at 3 mph. The swell is a cleaner 6ft from the south, period 10 seconds, and the energy is 579 (weak moderate). The call is “expect very good surf conditions.” This is the standout. That glassy wind will keep the reef clean, and while 6ft might be pushing it for beginners, it’s a solid size for anyone with a bit of experience. The south swell direction is spot on for what Long Reef likes (optimum SE), so it’s a good one to aim for.

Saturday the 19th still has some life. Morning brings a WSW wind at 12 mph, offshore and clean, with 3ft south swell and 246 energy (weak). It’s small but rideable, and the offshore wind will make it smooth. Afternoon turns glassy again with 3ft, but it’s very ordinary.

Then we hit a stretch of nothing. From Sunday the 20th right through to Wednesday the 1st of October, the surf is small to tiny, the winds are mostly onshore or cross-on, and the conditions are described as poor almost every session. There’s a brief flicker on the 27th of September Sunday afternoon with a 6ft north-east swell but it’s only 6 seconds – short period, not much push. The 28th Monday morning has 5ft ENE swell with clean cross-off winds, but again, nothing special. It’s a long dry spell of about a week and a half with hardly anything worth paddling for.

The water temperature is sitting around average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

So to wrap it up, your best bet is Friday the 18th morning, with that clean glassy session and a decent south swell. After that, it goes quiet for a long time. Keep an eye on the 27th and 28th, but don’t hold your breath. This area can turn quick, so stay hopeful.

Rusty.

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