Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Gotta say, lookin' at this 16-day stretch for the Reef, it's a real test of patience. We've got a lot of small, junky days to wade through before we finally get a proper pulse of energy. The water temp is bang on average for the time of year at 69°F, so at least you won't be freezing while you're waiting.

For the next week and a half, it's pretty grim. We start with a tiny 2ft swell from the NW with a short 8-second period, and a howling cross-shore wind of 16 mph. Just ugly. The combined energy is a weak 64, so there's nothing to get excited about. That trend continues all the way through to the 13th of September. There are a couple of mornings here and there that are glassy, like Friday the 4th and Saturday the 5th, with 2ft to 3ft of weak WNW swell, but the energy is so low (75-101) it's barely surfable. Just ankle-snappers for the logs if you're desperate.

We do get a bit of a pulse on the 5th afternoon – a 2ft NW swell with a very long 15-second period. That long period gives it some serious punch, with the combined energy jumping to a moderate 330, but the problem is the wind swings cross-on. That'll turn it into a bumpy, frustrating mess for such a small wave. Still, the quality is poor.

Then from the 6th, the wind just starts hammering. The 7th and 8th are completely written off with strong N winds around 19-22 mph, and the swell just vanishes on the 8th and 9th. There's a big gap of basically zero surf from the 8th through the 11th. A tiny 0.7ft blip on the 10th isn't worth paddling for.

Now, the one standout in this whole outlook. Monday the 14th of September is your day. The Reef finally wakes up. We're looking at a solid 6ft groundswell from the NW with a long 14-second period. That's a big, powerful wave. The combined energy is a whopping 1462, which is very strong. And for the morning, the wind is a total dream – glassy. Zero wind. That's an excellent window for experienced surfers who can handle a proper, meaty reef break. Remember, at over 5ft, this is for the advanced crew only. The more sheltered spots might hold it best with that long period.

The Monday afternoon sees the swell bump up to 7ft, but the wind gets a touch tricky, blowing cross-on from the NNW. Still surfable for the experts, but the magic is that glassy morning. The Tuesday morning then drops back to a 6ft swell, but the cross-shore wind will start to mess with the surface.

After that, the wind comes back and it's all over. The 16th and 17th of September are just more lumpy, blown-out days with no quality on offer. A long, hard wait for one golden moment.

Rusty.

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