Nobbys Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it—this forecast for the next 16 days is a bit of a frustrating run for the spot. We’re looking at Nobbys Reef, a tricky, inconsistent reef break that’s only for the advanced crew, and it’s exposed to the SE swell. The main issue is that for most of this outlook, the wind and conditions just don’t line up. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing wild there. Let's break it down.

We start with a few days of nothing good. Thursday the 27th is a write-off with cross-onshore wind and poor, choppy conditions on a 5 to 6 ft S swell. Friday the 28th morning offers a glimmer: a clean 5 ft SSE groundswell (11-second period) with light offshore WNW wind. That’s the first real standout of the whole run. The combined energy is moderate (669), and it should offer some nice, shaped waves for those who know the reef. But it’s an inconsistent spot, so you’ll have to be patient between sets. Crowds are possible. By Friday afternoon, the wind swings back onshore and it’s poor again. Saturday the 29th is poor all day, Sunday the 30th morning has a glassy 3 ft S swell with very weak energy (206), but it’s clean for a paddle. Monday the 31st morning has a tiny 2 ft SSE groundswell with a very long 17-second period, glassy conditions, and moderate energy (363). That period is super long, so at a reef, it might peel nicely, but don’t expect much size.

After that, from Tuesday the 1st of September through to Monday the 8th, it’s a long stretch of really small surf—mostly 1 ft to 2 ft—with clean but weak conditions. The energy drops into the double or low triple digits (85, 63, 58, etc.). It’s surfable if you’re desperate, but very ordinary. Tuesday the 1st morning sees a tiny 2 ft S swell (12-second period) with offshore wind and clean faces, but there’s hardly any push.

Then we get another highlight on Wednesday the 9th of September morning. Suddenly, it’s a glassy 5 ft SSW swell with a short 8-second period and very strong energy (513). That’s the second true standout. That short period will mean fatter, less powerful waves, but with glassy conditions and the reef’s shape, it could offer some fun, clean lines for the advanced crew. After that, Thursday the 10th and Friday the 11th fade back into small, weak, or poor surf.

So, the best on offer? Friday the 28th of August morning for a solid, clean groundswell, and Wednesday the 9th of September morning for that glassy pulse of size. Everything else is either blown out or too small to get excited about. There’s a big gap of nearly a week of tiny surf in between.

Rusty.

Read more