Nobbys Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Mate, it’s gonna be a tough stretch for a wave at Nobbys Reef. This is a reef break that needs the right direction, and for the next 16 days, the swell just doesn’t want to line up properly. There’s a real gap with barely anything worth paddling out for, especially after the first couple of days. Keep your expectations low – this is more about picking the cleanest moments than scoring any sort of classic session.

Your only real window for a proper go is Sunday morning, August 2nd. The wind is light and coming from the north, giving us a clean, cross-off breeze at 6 mph. Swell is from the SSE at 5 ft, but the period is a short 13 seconds. It’s not the long-period groundswell this reef loves. The energy reading is at 1002, so there’s a decent amount of power in the water. Water temp is 64°, which is about 1° cooler than usual – nothing wild, just a touch of winter chill. This spot is for advanced surfers only, and with it being inconsistent, you’ll need patience. The swell direction is SSE, which isn’t its absolute optimum SE, but it’s close enough to work. This is the only standout, and even then, it’s a shout for experienced locals only.

After that Sunday morning session, it falls away fast. Sunday afternoon turns into a cross-shore mess, and by Monday morning, August 3rd, you’ve got a cleaner 4 ft from the SE with a 9 mph offshore NNW wind, but the energy is way down at 311. It’s surfable but nothing to write home about. Tuesday through to Saturday the 8th are all tiny waves under 3 ft or blown out, with conditions rated as poor. There’s a moment on Thursday morning, August 6th, with a 4 ft south swell and a light offshore NW wind at 6 mph, energy at 217, but the swell direction is S, which isn’t what Nobbys wants. Still, it’s clean.

From August 9th onwards, we’re looking at a long, drawn-out poor run. Swell heights barely crack 2 ft, and while some mornings are glassy or offshore, the energy is in the weak zone – down around 50 to 150. There’s a glassy morning on Thursday, August 13th, but the swell is a pathetic 1 ft. The winds get strong from the 15th, with 19 mph westerlies making the ocean lumpy even if it’s clean. The last few days drift off with nothing worth committing to.

So, bottom line: your best bet is Sunday morning, August 2nd at Nobbys Reef. Get in early, it’s the only real pulse we’ve got. After that, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

Read more