Slade Bay/Boot Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s talk about what’s on offer for the next couple of weeks at Slade Bay/Boot Reef. It’s a reef break, fairly exposed to the swell, and it likes that southwest direction. The water temp? Nothing out of the ordinary, feels about right for the start of September.

Honestly, we are looking at a lot of chop and wind for the next few days. Sunday the 30th of August is a write-off with that southerly wind blowing a solid 15 to 21 mph straight across the break. A messy 4ft to 6ft of swell with weak energy (267) – more like a washing machine than a wave. You can forget it.

Monday the 31st of August gets interesting, though. The wind swings offshore from the northwest, cleaning things right up. We’ve got a solid 7ft of WSW groundswell, with a period of 10 seconds and moderate energy (768). It’s still a bit wild for the beginners at that size, but a clean 7ft wave on a reef in the morning is a proper standout. It’s likely to be a bit out of control for the absolute rookies, but for anyone with a few sessions under their belt, that morning looks like the only real window in the first week. The afternoon holds similar size but with a little less push.

From Tuesday the 1st of September we slide back into disappointment. The swell drops right off to under 3ft. That’s a gap of several days right there – nothing recommended until the following week.

There’s a flash in the pan on Saturday the 5th of September morning – a clean 6ft wave with a bit of energy (289) and an offshore breeze, but the period is short, just 6 seconds, making it pretty weak. Worth a quick look if you are desperate, but not the one to plan your week around.

The real gem sits way out at the end of the run. Friday the 11th of September. The morning delivers a clean 7ft of WSW groundswell with a period of 9 seconds, and the wind is light and offshore from the northwest. Nice moderate energy in the water (724). That’s a couple of feet of clean, peeling reef wave. It’s the clear standout of the whole forecast – arguably the best quality on offer, even if it is a gamble that far out. Fair warning: it can get crowded here sometimes, so if the forecast holds, get down early. The afternoon is just as good, similar size and clean.

Saturday the 12th of September is a solid backup day if you missed the main event. 7ft of WSW swell with a light wind from the east that’s barely there, keeping things pretty tidy. The crowd will be there the day after a primo Friday, but the wave itself will be worth jostling for.

The final look-in is Monday the 14th of September morning. The swell is a touch smaller at 5ft, but the conditions are glassy. Dead flat calm. That tends to make up for a lot. If the Friday is too far out to trust, this is the safer, later bet.

Rusty.

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