Nine Mile Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty here. Let’s cut through the noise and look at the next couple of weeks for Nine Mile Reef. This is a reef set-up, exposed to the swell, and it's fairly consistent, which is good. It’s rated as a beginner wave, so we gotta keep an eye on size, because when it gets too big, this place turns from friendly to a handful real quick.

We start off quiet. Monday the 3rd has a small 3ft SW swell with 13 seconds of period, and with a light N wind and glassy conditions in the morning, it’s looking clean but tiny. The energy is weak (337), so it’s more of a splash around than a proper surf. Things stay flat and ordinary through Tuesday the 4th, with the swell dropping to 3ft and the wind going onshore in the afternoon. Nothing to get excited about.

Then we get our first real window of opportunity. Wednesday the 5th sees a jump in size to 5ft from the SW, with a very long 16-second period. The energy is moderate (1030) and with a NNW offshore breeze of 16 mph in the morning, the conditions are clean and lined up. This is the first decent call of the period. It’s still not huge, but that long-period groundswell will have some push to it. The afternoon stays clean, though the wind swings a bit cross-off. Thursday the 6th is a big step up to 7ft from the SW. That’s where we hit the problem. The energy is strong (1476), but this is too big for a beginner spot. The morning has light E cross-shore wind, so it's not messy, but you'd want to know what you're doing out there. Friday the 7th is similar: 7ft from the SSW with strong energy (1823 and 1960). The morning is glassy with zero wind, which is a dream for an expert, but this is firmly in the “experts only” category. The swell direction (SSW) is a bit off the optimum SSE, but the power is there.

The weekend pulls back a little. Saturday the 8th has 5ft in the morning from the SW, with a NW cross-off wind keeping it clean. The energy is moderate (841), so it’s more manageable, and a better option for the average surfer. The afternoon bumps back up to 7ft, which is pushing it again. Then Sunday the 9th turns ugly. Rain showers and a strong S wind at 25 mph in the afternoon, with onshore conditions and a 7ft SSW swell. That’s a complete write-off. The energy is still high (1177), but with that wind, it’s a mess. The start of the next week, Monday the 10th and Tuesday the 11th, is also poor. Fresh cross-onshore winds from the SE/S, lumpy and choppy conditions, and the swell drops off to 3ft. This is a dead period.

Wednesday the 12th is more of the same; poor conditions with a S wind, and the swell down around 3ft. We have a gap of a few days where there’s just nothing worth paddling out for. The surf quality is poor and the winds are all over the place.

The second week shows a glimmer. Thursday the 13th sees the swell jump back up to 6ft from the SW with a long 16-second period, and the energy is back up to strong (1719). However, the wind is light cross-onshore from the SSE, which will put a bit of texture on it, but it’s the most promising day of the week. It’s still on the bigger side for the break, but that long period will make it powerful. Friday the 14th has a similar SW swell at 5ft but with onshore S winds, so it’s less clean. The weekend of the 15th and 16th sees the swell fade out, dropping back to 4ft, with onshore winds trying to ruin the fun.

The long-range call for Monday the 17th is a tiny 3ft SW swell with a NNW offshore breeze, so it’s clean but very weak. The more interesting one is Tuesday the 18th, with 5ft from the SW and a strong NNW cross-offshore wind at 19 mph. That’s promising and should be clean, but being that far out, it’s a “promising but less certain” kind of deal.

So, the standout of the whole period is Wednesday the 5th. It’s the first proper clean window with a solid long-period swell and offshore winds. The size is right, the wind is right, and it’s the best on offer. If you can’t make that, then Thursday the 13th is your next best bet, though you’ll have to deal with a bit of cross-onshore breeze. The rest is a mix of too small, too big, or blown out. That’s the picture from here.

Rusty.

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