Long Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Long Reef. This is a classic reef break that’s best for advanced surfers, and it’s fairly consistent. The water temp is sitting at 64°F, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year.

The week kicks off Friday morning, August 28, with a solid 6 ft SSE swell, period at 11 seconds, and a light WNW cross-off breeze. The combined energy is moderate at 727, and conditions are clean. It’s a strong start but not the best we’ll see.

Saturday morning, August 29, sees a drop to 4 ft from the SSE, still clean with a light SW cross-off, but the energy is lower at 423. Sunday morning, August 30, is cleaner again with a 3 ft S swell, a light offshore W breeze, and a period of 9 seconds. Energy is 281. It’s good, but nothing to write home about.

Monday morning, August 31, is interesting. There’s only 2 ft of swell, but it’s a long-period S groundswell at 16 seconds, and the energy is still moderate at 445. With a light offshore W breeze, it’ll be clean, but that long period might make it break a bit straight at the reef. It’s a decent session for the patient surfer.

After that, the surf goes quiet for several days. From Tuesday, September 1, through to the end of the following week, we’re looking at small, weak swells and poor conditions. The energy drops right down into the double digits by Thursday, September 3, and there’s barely a ripple. This dry spell lasts until the morning of Saturday, September 5, when a 4 ft S swell kicks in with a period of 11 seconds and a light N cross-off. Energy is 391, and it’s clean. A nice little pulse, but short-lived as the afternoon goes cross-onshore.

Now, the real standout is further out. On Monday, September 7, the swell jumps up to 12 ft from the S, but it’s messy with cross-onshore winds. Not the day. The true gem is Tuesday morning, September 8. We’ve got an 8 ft S swell, period 12 seconds, and glassy conditions with a light NE breeze. The combined energy is a massive 2064, which is strong. This is powerful, clean groundswell – perfect for advanced surfers at Long Reef. The swell direction is straight from the SSE, which is the optimum for this spot. It’s going to be a ripper, but with size that big, it’s strictly for the experienced crew. Crowds are sometimes an issue here, so get in early.

The following days fade again, with a brief clean window on Wednesday morning, September 9, but it’s only 4 ft and cross-off, nothing special. Then on Saturday, September 12, there’s a clean 3 ft S swell with a gentle offshore W wind, but energy is only 280. It’s a fun little end to the outlook.

So, the standout is clear: Tuesday, September 8, morning session at Long Reef – that’s the one to circle on the calendar. Everything else is small or blown out.

Rusty.

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