Slade Bay/Boot Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what we’ve got coming down the line for Slade Bay/Boot Reef. To be straight with you, it’s a bit of a slow burn this fortnight. The first week is mostly a write-off with onshore or cross-shore winds messing up what little swell we get. But hang in there—there's a flicker of hope right at the end.

We start with nothing much happening. Tuesday the 18th through Wednesday the 21st is flat to small, with wind all wrong. You’re looking at bumpy 3ft to 5ft waves from the WSW with a short, weak period of 6 to 7 seconds. The energy is low (96 to 155), and with a cross or cross-off wind, it’s just not surfable. Thursday the 20th morning shows a brief pulse—5ft from the W, period 7 seconds, and a 481 combined energy—making for clean surf with that NW cross-off breeze. That’s the best of the first week, but honestly, it’s small and short-lived.

After that, we drop off into a real flat spell. From Friday the 21st all the way through to Monday the 24th, we’ve got tiny waves, 0.3ft to 2ft, with very low energy (14 to 71). Even though Sunday the 23rd morning has a light offshore wind from the north, the swell is almost non-existent. That’s a solid four-day lull where you’d be better off doing something else.

Then we get a bit of a rebuild from Tuesday the 25th, but the wind is onshore or cross-shore from the southeast, making it choppy. Swell heights climb to 3ft to 4ft, but the quality is poor. The combined energy gets up to 237 on the 25th afternoon, with a 10-second period, but the cross-onshore wind ruins it. This theme continues right through to the end of August—windy and messy.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The standout is on Monday the 31st of August. We’ve got a solid 7ft to 8ft swell from the SW, with a period of 7 to 8 seconds. The combined energy is strong (441 to 689). The problem is the onshore wind from the SSE and S, making it a bit rough. Still, that’s a lot of water moving, and for the bigger-wave crew, it might be worth a look if you can find a sheltered corner.

The real gem, however, looks to be Tuesday the 1st of September afternoon and Wednesday the 2nd of September morning. On Tuesday afternoon we get 7ft from the WSW with a 10-second period and a beefy 856 combined energy, with a gentler cross-onshore wind. But Wednesday morning is the pick: 7ft from the WSW, 9-second period, 611 energy, and a clean cross-off wind from the NW. That’s the one to mark on your calendar. That size is getting into expert-only territory—over 5ft and pushing 7ft, so beginners should sit this one out. The period is solid, but that wind is going to make for some clean, lined-up waves on this reef break.

One thing to note: Slade Bay/Boot Reef is a reef setup, so it handles longer period swells well compared to a beach break. With that 9 to 10-second period, expect good shape and better waves between the sets. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so no wetsuit surprises.

Crowds are listed as “sometimes” here, so you might have a few others out, but nothing like a main beach. It’s fairly consistent, so when it’s on, it’s worth the paddle.

Alright, that’s the long run down. The first week is a dud, the second week has some promise, but Wednesday the 2nd of September morning looks like the real deal. Keep an eye on it.

Rusty.

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