Magna Tubes Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, I'm Rusty. Let's have a look at what's coming up for Magna Tubes.

This is a reef break set up for advanced crew only. We’ve got a decent run of swell on the cards, but the quality varies a fair bit. The water is sitting at 53°, which is a whopping 13° colder than the long-term average for this time of year. That’s seriously unusual, so you’ll be wanting a good 5/4 and boots.

We start off quiet. Saturday the 15th is a write-off – the swell is a weak 4ft from the SW with an onshore breeze, giving us combined wave energy of just 597. Forget it. That afternoon isn’t any better. Sunday the 16th is where we first see a pulse of life. The morning brings clean conditions with a light offshore wind from the WNW, and a 5ft SW swell (902 energy). The period is short at 13 seconds, so it’ll be a bit more disorganised, but it’s rideable. The afternoon stays clean with a cross-off breeze.

Monday the 17th is a standout. The morning delivers excellent surf for experienced surfers with a solid 8ft SW swell and a moderate 2220 energy. The wind is a light cross-off, keeping it clean. That afternoon, the swell pushes 8ft SW (2160 energy) – still clean. This is proper, chunky reef surf.

Tuesday the 18th through to Wednesday the 19th sees the swell hold size around 7ft to 8ft, but the wind turns cross-onshore and the conditions get marginal. The energy is strong, over 1500, but it’s not going to be as pretty. Thursday the 20th afternoon shapes up nicely again, with a 8ft SW swell and a cross-off breeze (2047 energy) – excellent conditions for the experienced.

Friday the 21st is a mess. Onshore winds and choppy conditions ruin it. Saturday the 22nd is cleaner but the swell drops to 7ft with a fresh breeze. Not a highlight.

Now, the second week gets interesting but comes with a caveat about the long-range call. Sunday the 23rd morning has a solid 10ft SSW swell (2795 energy) with clean cross-off winds, but it's big – experts only. Monday the 24th morning is the biggest of the whole period: an 12ft SSW groundswell with a very long 16-second period, and the energy is immense at 5954. The wind is cross-onshore though, so it'll be a lumpy beast. The swell direction from the SSW isn't quite the optimum SE direction for Magna Tubes, which might make it a bit less focused. Tuesday the 25th drops back to 6ft but is clean with onshore wind – not ideal.

The real hidden gem in this long-range forecast is Wednesday the 26th morning. Completely glassy, zero wind, a 5ft SSW swell with an incredibly long 18-second period, and a massive 2530 energy. This is a pulse of very long-period groundswell. At a reef break like this, that long period will produce some beautifully shaped, powerful, and clean lines. It’s a rare treat. That afternoon the wind comes up again, so morning is the call.

The rest of the week fades out with windy, marginal conditions, though the 29th and 30th have clean cross-off winds and 7ft to 8ft swell, which is okay but not the best of the bunch.

If you’re an experienced surfer, your best bets are Monday the 17th for the reliable clean, powerful swell, and that glassy Wednesday the 26th morning for something truly special – but it’s a long way out, so keep an eye on the forecasts closer to the time. Crowds are “sometimes” expected here, so you might have some company on those good days.

Rusty.

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