Reef la Maddalenetta Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s call it as I see it for this little corner of the coast.

To be straight with you, the next sixteen days are a tough watch. We’ve got a long stretch of flat, weak, and messy conditions. There’s a good ten-day block from the start of the forecast right through to the end of the first week of September where the wave energy just isn’t there—combined energy figures are mostly in the single digits or low double digits, with a few mid-range values like 22 or 26 (weak energy), and the swell heights are barely a ripple. It’s a real desert out there.

The only flicker of life shows up on the 3rd of September into the 4th, when the combined energy climbs to a moderate 150 (Wednesday afternoon) and 168 (Friday morning), with swell heights hitting 4 ft. That’s from the WNW. But here’s the kicker—that same window is plagued by onshore and cross-onshore winds, making for messy, choppy conditions. The wave comments are consistently “poor surf conditions,” and the scores are zero across the board.

Reef la Maddalenetta is the only spot in the game, and it’s a rare-breaking reef. It’s a picky one, and this run of weather isn’t doing it any favours. The longest period we see is 7 seconds, which is short-period windswell, not the kind of groundswell that makes this reef sing. The best wind we get is a glassy moment on the morning of the 30th of August, but with only 2 ft of swell and 38 weak energy, it’s barely a knee-high dribble. On the 3rd and 4th, when the swell size is more interesting, the wind is onshore, so the waves will be lumpy and closed out. For a beginner, 4 ft is doable, but with the poor wind and short period, it’s not a safe or fun day. For the experts, it’s a frustrating combo of enough size to get out but not enough quality to make it worth it.

The water temperature anomaly is not flagged, so it’s about average for the time of year. Don’t expect any surprises there.

Bottom line: there are no standout days. The only time the swell gets above waist-high comes with a side of ugly wind. If you’re a kitesurfer, the stronger WNW winds on the 3rd and 4th might look more interesting than a paddle session. For everyone else, keep the board in the car and wait for the next window.

Rusty.

Read more