Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, I’m looking at the charts for this spot, and honestly, it’s a tough stretch ahead. The whole 16-day window is a real struggle. We’ve got a lot of days with small, weak swell and wind that’s just not playing nice. There’s a big gap nearly the whole first week where you’d be better off staying home or doing something else.

Starting off Friday the 31st of July, it’s flat. We’re talking a 1ft swell from the WNW with a period of 11 seconds, but the wind is a cross-shore from the NNW at 16 mph. The combined energy is a measly 61 (weak). It’s just poor surf, no way around it.

That trend continues right through the first week of August. Into Saturday the 1st, Sunday the 2nd, Monday the 3rd, Tuesday the 4th, Wednesday the 5th, Thursday the 6th, and Friday the 7th – it’s all the same story. Swell heights barely touching 3ft, periods mostly under 10 seconds, and the wind is either cross or cross-onshore, keeping things choppy and messy. The energy values are all in the two-digit range, sometimes into triple digits, but it’s all weak to moderate at best, and the wave comment is consistently “poor surf conditions.” There’s nothing to recommend here.

Now, we get a little bump on Saturday the 8th of August. The swell picks up to 4ft from the WNW with a 10-second period, and the combined energy jumps to 308 (moderate). That’s a bit more juice. But the wind is still a cross-shore from the NNW at 12 mph, and the wave comment is still “poor surf conditions.” It’s a tease, really. That swell hangs around through Sunday the 9th, with a 5ft swell from the NNW, but the period drops to a poor 6 seconds, and the wind is a fresh 19 mph cross-shore, making it lumpy. Not for the faint-hearted.

After that, it drops right back down. Monday the 10th of August sees a tiny 0.6ft swell. The only flicker of hope comes on Tuesday the 11th of August. The morning shows a 3ft swell from the west, 10-second period, with a gentle cross-shore breeze, and the combined energy is 200 (moderate). The wave comment finally changes to “marginal surf forecast.” That’s the best we’re going to get. The afternoon shows 4ft with a 314 energy, but the wind picks up to a moderate cross-shore, keeping it from being clean.

The rest of the window into the second week stays poor. Wednesday the 12th through to Saturday the 15th of August sees swell hanging around 3ft to 4ft, but the wind is consistently fresh from the N or NNW, 19 to 22 mph, creating lumpy, cross-shore conditions. The energy is moderate, but the quality is just not there.

The only standout, and I mean the only one, is the morning of Tuesday the 11th of August. The wind is light and the swell has a bit of shape. But even then, it’s marginal. For a reef break that’s exposed to the SW, and the swell is coming from the W, it’s not an ideal match. This spot is fairly consistent, but it’s an advanced wave, and with the wind and swell direction, it’s going to be a battle. The water temperature is 68°, which is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there.

For the rest of the run, honestly, with the significant swell on the 8th and 9th but the poor quality and strong cross-shore wind, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. A blank run like this is more normal for the area, but it tends not to stay poor for long, and the forecasts can change. Keep an eye on the charts.

Rusty.

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