Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for this stretch of coast. I’ve got to be straight with you – the next 16 days are looking bleak. That’s a long stretch of nothing, and I mean nothing, for a good wave. The first bit of hope doesn’t even show up until the 12th of August, and even then, it’s a tough sell.

The overall pattern is a whole lot of cross-shore wind, mostly from the north and north-northwest, with a moderate to strong breeze hanging around. The swell is small and weak, with poor energy. The water temp is about what you’d expect for this time of year, so no major surprises there.

Starting off on Wednesday the 12th of August, we’ve got a tiny 3ft swell from the WNW, but it’s coming in at a short 10-second period. The wind is a cross-shore N at 12 mph, and it’s choppy. The combined energy is a weak 144. It’s a mess. This is the same story for the next few days – a bit of small swell, but the wind stays on it. Thursday the 13th has a similar 3ft swell, but the energy climbs to 230, still not enough to get excited about with that cross wind.

Friday the 14th, we get a slight drop in energy to 130, and the wind picks up to 19 mph in the afternoon. The swell period drops to 9 seconds, making it even more junky. By Saturday the 15th, the swell completely dies, dropping to 0.3ft with a very long period of 18 seconds from the south. That’s a ghost swell – barely any energy (6), and the wind is howling from the NNW at 22-25 mph. That’s not surf, that’s a washing machine.

The rest of the first week and into the second is more of the same. Small, weak swells, mostly from the SSW or SW, with periods between 14 and 18 seconds, but the energy is always in the low double digits. The wind is relentless, mostly cross-shore or cross-on, keeping everything lumpy and messy.

There is one tiny window on Monday the 17th of August in the morning. The wind turns light from the NE, going cross-offshore, and the conditions are described as clean. But the swell is only 0.3ft from the SW with a long 18-second period. The energy is just 22. It’s clean, but there’s nothing to ride. That’s the closest we get to a highlight, and it’s a tease.

Towards the end of the run, on the 26th of August, the swell finally shows a bit of life. We get a 5ft swell from the NW on Wednesday morning, but the period is a short 7 seconds. The energy is 212, which is moderate, but the wind is still a cross-shore N at 16 mph. It’s too big for beginners at that size, but the short period and cross wind will make it messy and hard to handle. By Thursday the 27th, it’s a similar story – 4ft from the NW, 8-second period, and more cross wind.

Honestly, this is a blank run. The only break here is “Reef,” a reef break that’s fairly consistent but exposed to the swell. It’s an advanced spot, and with the wind we’ve got, it’s not going to be any fun. For the first 14 days, the swell is just too small and the wind is too strong. When the swell does finally show up at the end, the wind ruins it. If you’re a kite surfer, the strong cross-shore winds and small, lumpy waves might look interesting, but for a paddle surfer, it’s a hard pass. The forecast can change, and it tends not to stay this poor for long, but right now, I’d say leave the board in the car and go do something else.

Rusty.

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