Nine Mile Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, let’s talk about what’s coming up at Nine Mile Reef.

Right off the bat, the next few days are looking pretty weak. We’re talking small, marginal surf to start the period. Wednesday the 29th of July has a 4ft SSW swell at 13 seconds, but with a cross-onshore breeze. The water is sitting at 59° and the anomaly is 1° cooler than usual, so it’s a touch cooler than usual for this time of year, but nothing wild. The combined energy is moderate at 754. It’s not a total write-off, but it’s not exactly firing.

Thursday the 30th through Sunday the 2nd of August is a real glass-off period. Thursday morning goes glassy with a 4ft SSW swell, and the wind is SE at 3 mph. That’s clean. The swell holds around the 3ft to 4ft mark through Friday and Saturday, with periods staying in the 12 to 14 second range. The combined energy drops from 487 down to 225. It’s rideable, but nothing to get stoked about. Sunday morning the 2nd of August still has a clean 3ft SW swell, but the energy is fading.

Monday the 3rd of August stays small, with a 3ft SW swell, but the wind switches onshore in the afternoon, so it won’t be as clean.

Then we hit a bit of a lull. Tuesday the 4th of August has a messy, windy day with a 2ft to 3ft swell and strong offshore winds up to 19 mph. That’s not great for quality waves, and the energy is weak at 163. The outlook is poor.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. There’s a big gap of small, average surf, but then on Wednesday the 5th of August, things start to change. The swell jumps to 6ft from the SW at 15 seconds, and the combined energy is a strong 1336. The wind is offshore from the north at 19 mph Wednesday morning, but by Wednesday afternoon, the swell hits 7ft at 14 seconds, and the energy is way up at 1873. The problem is, the break is a reef, and with that much size, it’s getting into the too-big zone for most. This looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Thursday the 6th of August through Friday the 7th keeps pumping with 8ft to 8ft SSW and SW swell, periods hitting 14 to 15 seconds, and combined energy in the 2000s. The wind is mainly cross-offshore or offshore, but the swell is too big for this break. The reef will be cranking, but it’s really only for experts.

Saturday the 8th of August turns ugly. Rain showers, strong cross-onshore wind, and an 8ft swell. The energy is intense at 2999, but the conditions are poor. The same goes for Sunday the 9th and Monday the 10th of August, when the swell is up to 10ft to 12ft, and the combined energy is over 3000. It’s huge, but messy and onshore.

Tuesday the 11th of August is a standout for the sheer size – 15ft from the SSW at 10 seconds, with glassy conditions in the morning. The combined energy is a massive 6216. That is a serious amount of water moving. But with a 10-second period, it’s a shorter-period swell, and on a reef, that’s going to be a heavy, unruly wave. Definitely experts only, and you’d want to be careful.

The period starts to settle after that. Wednesday the 12th of August has a 7ft SW swell at 15 seconds, but the wind is cross-onshore, so it’s marginal. The real highlight for the second week comes on Thursday the 13th of August. The swell drops to 5ft from the SW at 14 seconds, and the wind goes glassy from the NE at 3 mph in the morning. The combined energy is a solid 975. This is the best-looking day for a decent paddle. The swell is a good size, the period is long, and the wind is glassy. This is a day to get in the water.

That’s the run, mates. A slow start, a big, gnarly middle section, and a glassy finish. Keep an eye on that Thursday the 13th.

- Rusty

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