Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it.

The next couple of days are looking pretty average, if we’re being honest. The swell is small and wonky, and the wind is mostly cross or onshore. You might see a few lines in the water on Friday morning, but it’s going to be weak and period-short, around 3ft at 6 seconds from the NNW with a cross-off breeze. The water is a chilly 64°, which is 5° colder than it should be this time of year. That’s a big deal – it’s much colder than normal, so if you’re paddling out, bring the thick rubber.

Saturday looks pretty flat, with the swell dropping to 2ft. Not worth the effort.

Now, here’s where things start to get interesting. Sunday morning, September 13th, is the first real standout. It’s glassy, with the wind completely calm. The swell jumps to 3ft from the NW with a period of 13 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell, pushing the combined energy to 330 (moderate). The direction is right in the sweet spot for Reef. This is the kind of morning you’ll want to be out early, before it gets bigger. The period is long, so the sets will have some push, and the glassy conditions will have it looking like a mirror. This one is a go.

By Sunday afternoon, the swell builds to 4ft, but the wind turns onshore from the west. It’ll be lumpy and less appealing. Monday and Tuesday look poor, with small, short-period leftovers and cross-shore winds.

The next real window opens up on Saturday morning, September 19th. After a few days of junk, we get a light cross-off breeze from the SSE and a clean 4ft swell from the NW at 10 seconds. Combined energy is 235 (moderate). It won’t be as powerful as Sunday’s swell, but the conditions will be clean. If you can’t make that one, Sunday morning, September 20th looks very similar – clean, cross-off breeze, 4ft from the NW. And then on Monday morning, September 21st, we get those glassy conditions again with a 4ft NW swell. These mornings are all solid options for a clean, uncrowded session.

Now, looking further out to the last week, there’s some serious size on the cards, but it comes with problems. From Tuesday, September 22nd, the swell really fills in – 6ft from the NW with a 12-second period. The energy is strong, hitting 918. But the wind is cross and fresh, making it a mess. By Friday morning, September 25th, it’s a big one: 6ft at 15 seconds, with the energy cranking to a strong 1261. This is a proper long-period groundswell. The problem is the wind remains a strong cross-shore from the north. It’s going to be powerful and challenging. This one is for the experts only. At this size and with that long period, Reef is going to be heavy and unpredictable. If you’re a beginner, stay well away.

After that, things drop out again. The long-range stuff is promising in size, but the wind hasn’t looked good.

So, in short: Sunday morning, September 13th is your best bet for the cleanest, most classic conditions with that long-period groundswell. The following weekend and Monday mornings (19th, 20th, and 21st) are also fun, just a little smaller and less powerful. Don’t bother with the middle of this week, and if you’re looking at the 25th, make sure you’re no one’s liability.

Rusty out.

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