Nobbys Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the table for Nobbys Reef over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, it’s a slow start. We’re looking at a stretch of pretty ordinary conditions. The swell’s there, but the wind is all wrong for the first few days. Monday the 17th and Tuesday the 18th have waves around 3 ft from the ESE, but the wind is cross or cross-on, and the water is a bit colder than usual at 63° with a -2° anomaly. It’s messy and not worth paddling out for.

The first glimmer of hope comes on Wednesday morning, the 19th. The swell drops a touch to 2 ft from the ESE, but the wind goes glassy – a light NNE breeze at just 3 mph. That clean, glassy surface is a golden ticket. The swell period bumps up to 10 seconds, giving it some decent shape, and the combined energy is a solid moderate (203). For a reef break, this could be a real gem for the experienced crew. The only catch is this spot is inconsistent, so it might not always be running, but when it does Wednesday morning, it'll be worth a look. Crowds are possible here, so don’t expect to have it to yourself.

Thursday the 20th sees the swell drop again, and it stays small for a long while. The morning has a bit of a clean look with a light cross-offshore breeze, but the wave height is only 3 ft and the period drops to 7 seconds. There’s a bit of energy on the Thursday afternoon (153), but the wind is cross-off again, so it’s more of a skate than a surf. Then from Friday the 21st through to Tuesday the 26th, the swell just disappears. We’re talking flat spells with wave heights barely reaching 2 ft or 2 ft. The energy drops right off into the double digits, and the wind does get offshore at times, but there’s no wave to work with. It’s a dead zone for nearly a week.

We get a bit of a pulse on Monday the 24th. A very long-period groundswell from the SSE at 19 seconds pushes in, but it only manages 1 ft. The combined energy is moderate (172 and 181), and the wind is offshore and light. The swell is long-period, which is good for shape, but at a beach break like this, it might be a bit too straight. Still, for a sneaky, clean, small-wave session, it could be fun for someone on a log.

The real standout, and the only one truly worth circling on the calendar, is Thursday morning, the 27th of August. The swell is a bit more solid at 3 ft from the SSE, with a 10-second period, and the combined energy is a solid moderate (201). The wind is light WSW at 6 mph, which is cross-offshore, meaning the waves will be clean. That’s your best shot at a proper session in this whole 16-day run. It’s not huge, but it’ll be shaped and clean. Friday the 28th and Saturday the 29th are okay, but the wind gets a bit onshore or messy, with the swell staying small.

After that, it fades out again into the start of September with more wind and small, junky waves. The second week is a write-off for anything decent.

So, to sum it up: Wednesday morning the 19th for a glassy, clean reef runner if it’s breaking, and Thursday morning the 27th for the best combo of size, shape, and clean conditions on offer.

Rusty.

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