Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – we’ve got a long stretch of very ordinary conditions ahead before we see anything worth paddling out for. The forecast for Reef is a tough one for the next week and a half. The water temp is sitting at 69°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so at least you won’t freeze while you’re sitting there waiting for a decent wave.

The first chunk of the outlook is a write-off. From Thursday the 3rd right through to Saturday the 12th of September, it’s a real battle. The swell is tiny, the period is short, and the wind is mostly cross or cross-on, making a mess of things. You’ll see combined energy numbers barely cracking 100 (like 40 on Thursday morning, 67 Thursday afternoon), which is just weak sauce. Even when the swell tries to push up to 5ft on Monday the 7th, the energy jumps to 677, but the wind is a fresh cross-shore, ruining any chance of a clean wave. That setup is all chop and lump – honestly, more interesting for kite surfing than a proper paddle session.

We do get a little glimmer on Friday the 4th afternoon with glassy conditions, but the swell is only 2ft with a weak 8-second period – surfable, but nothing to write home about. The energy is only 84. It’s a tease.

Then, the real news. The standout window opens up on Sunday the 13th of September. Sunday morning is looking tasty. The wind goes glassy, and we’ve got a solid 3ft swell from the NW with a very long period of 16 seconds. That’s a groundswell, and the combined energy hits 592 (moderate). This is a long-period swell, so at Reef, being a reef break, it should handle that energy well and offer some proper, clean lines. The wind is dead calm, so it’ll be glassy perfection. Keep in mind, this is a week and a half away, so it’s promising but not a guarantee yet. The Monday morning the 14th is also a good call – 5ft from the NW at 11 seconds, with a clean cross-off breeze from the NNE. Combined energy is 517. Those two sessions are the only real standouts.

After that, the surf drops back into the doldrums, with small, weak swells and onshore winds through the rest of the second week. If you’re a beginner, avoid the 5ft days on the 7th, and anything over 3ft at this spot is for the advanced crew only. The long-period swell on the 13th will have long lulls between sets, but when it comes, it’ll be worth the wait.

So, to sum it up: a long, dry spell, then a couple of potential gems on the 13th and 14th of September. Keep your eyes on the forecast for that Sunday.

Rusty.

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