Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let's talk about what's on the menu for the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, it’s a tough stretch. We’re looking at a long, dry spell of poor conditions before anything remotely worth paddling out for shows up. The opening days are a write-off, with small, weak swell and onshore or cross-shore winds messing everything up. The first sniff of something half-decent doesn't come until Tuesday the 15th, but even then, it’s a one-morning window.

The best of the entire period, and the only thing that really gets me excited, is the morning of Tuesday the 15th. The Reef is looking at a clean 4ft swell from the NW with a period of 11 seconds, and the wind is forecast to be glassy. That’s a rare combo. The combined energy is moderate (486), so there’ll be some push. This is the clear standout – get on it if you can. The afternoon of the same day gets messy with a strong cross-onshore wind.

The only other potential is the morning of Sunday the 13th. The Reef sees a bigger 5ft NW swell (13-second period, 841 energy), but it's a cross-off wind. It’s not perfect, but it’s a step up from the rest of the garbage. Just be aware, that size might be a bit much for the beginners, and the period is long enough that those waves might be a bit straight at the beach but should work nicely on the reef. The afternoon blows out again.

Before that, there’s a solid 10-day stretch from the 2nd to the 12th with absolutely nothing worth recommending. The swell is tiny, the wind is poor, and the quality is just not there. A few mornings in the second week show a brief window of clean surf, like Saturday the 12th morning, but the swell is so small (2ft) it’s barely a ripple.

The water is sitting around 69°, which is bang on average for the time of year, so nothing weird there.

So, to sum it up: the 16-day window is a drought. Your only real shot is the glassy morning of Tuesday the 15th. Set the alarm, and don't be late.

Rusty.

Read more