Seaford Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get straight into it. There’s a long stretch here with barely a whisper of surf, and when it does show, it’s not much to write home about. The only spot on the radar is Seaford Reef, a sheltered beginner reef that’s inconsistent at the best of times. The water’s sitting around 57°, which is pretty much what you’d expect for this time of year, nothing weird going on.

The whole first week and a half is a write-off. From Tuesday 11 August right through to Wednesday morning 20 August, it’s all poor surf conditions with tiny, messy, or non-existent waves. The swell heights are mostly down around 0.3 ft to 1.0 ft, and the combined energy is pathetic – often single-digit numbers (6, 7, even 1). There’s a bit of a pulse on Wednesday 12 August morning with 4 ft at 6 seconds from the WSW and combined energy hitting 100, but the wind is a cross-onshore mess, so it’s choppy and lumpy. No good. Thursday 13 August and Friday 14 August have glassy moments but the swell is just 1.0 ft with weak energy (14 to 25). Not worth paddling for.

The first real glimmer comes on Thursday morning 20 August. The wind goes glassy, and there’s a pulse of 4 ft from the north, but the period is a short 5 seconds and the combined energy is only 82. The commentary says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” That’s the closest thing to a highlight, but it’s still a very average, short-period windswell on a sheltered reef. For beginners, the size is fine, but it’s not going to thrill anyone.

After that, it’s back to tiny waves for days. The next notable bump is on Tuesday 25 August afternoon, with 3 ft from the NNW at 5 seconds, and combined energy at 61. Clean cross-off wind, but again, short period and weak. Then Wednesday 26 August morning picks up to 5 ft from the SW at 6 seconds, with combined energy climbing to 126 – that’s moderate energy. The wind is cross-off and clean, so it’ll be rideable, but the period is still short, so don’t expect any real punch. That afternoon, the wind swings cross-shore and the swell drops slightly to 4 ft, still moderate energy at 120, but the cross-shore breeze will chop it up a bit.

The standout: Honestly, the best on offer is Wednesday 26 August morning at Seaford Reef. 5 ft from the southwest, clean cross-off wind, and the biggest combined energy of the whole forecast at 126. It’s not a classic, but given the long drought, it’s the session to aim for. The swell direction is WSW, which is the optimum for this break, so it’ll line up reasonably well. Still, it’s short-period windswell, so expect it to be a bit lumpy and not overly powerful. For a beginner spot, it’s fine, but if you’re after quality, this isn’t it.

For the rest of the window, it’s mostly tiny, weak, and flat. Nothing else comes close. The long gap from the 11th to the 20th is brutal, and then after the 26th, it fades back to nothing. Frustrating stuff.

Rusty.

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