Tabinha Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s in store for the stretch ahead. I’ll be honest with you – this one is a tough pill to swallow. The whole 16-day window is a frustrating run of poor surf conditions, with no standout days to get excited about. The forecast shows a constant, moderate cross-shore wind or cross-onshore breeze, and while the swell is present, it’s short-period, weak, and messy. The water is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, which is a small comfort, but it doesn’t help the waves.

The first sniff of anything surfable starts on August 18, but don’t rush down. The break is Tabinha, and it’s an exposed, consistent spot that works best with a NE swell, but we’re getting a weak E or ENE swell with a period of just 6 to 7 seconds. The combined energy is moderate, sitting around 231 (moderate), but the wind is a fresh cross-offshore on the morning of the 18th, which is the cleanest look we get. The swell is 5 ft, and it’s not too big for intermediates, but the short period means the waves are gutless and lumpy. The wind turns cross-shore by the afternoon, and it’s game over.

The 19th through to the 23rd of August are all the same story: 4 ft to 5 ft of short-period E/ENE swell, with moderate to fresh cross or cross-onshore winds. The energy drops from 237 right down to 121 (moderate to weak). The mornings are slightly cleaner with a cross-off breeze, but the waves are still a poor, choppy mess. The 25th of August morning sees a brief return of a cross-off wind and 5 ft swell, with energy back up to 205 (moderate), but it’s still only 7 seconds of period. The afternoon ruins it again.

From August 26 to September 2, the pattern doesn’t let up. Swell heights hover between 3 ft and 5 ft, period stays below 8 seconds, and the wind is a constant cross or cross-onshore. The energy peaks at 223 (moderate) on the morning of the 27th, but it’s cross-shore and lumpy. The afternoon of September 2 sees a 5 ft swell with 7-second period and energy of 213 (moderate), but again, the wind is not helping.

There is no standout here. The best of a bad bunch is the morning of August 18 at Tabinha, with clean cross-off wind and 5 ft of swell. It’s not great, but it’s the cleanest. Beginners might find the 5 ft size okay, but the short period and chop will make it tricky. For the rest, I’d leave the board at home. The only positive is that this break is consistent, so it won’t stay this poor forever – forecasts can change. But for now, it’s a long, blank run.

Rusty.

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