Tabinha Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's be straight with you – I've scanned the charts for this stretch of coast and, well, it's a bit of a testing period for us. We're looking at a 16-day window that kicks off on Monday, September 14, and honestly, the swell is there, but the wind and conditions are making it a tough one to love.

The main player is Tabinha. It's an exposed, intermediate-level break that's consistent, which is a positive. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing unusual to report there. The swell hangs around the 4 ft to 5 ft mark, coming from the east and east-northeast, with a short period of 6 to 7 seconds. That's a short-period, locally-wind-driven swell, not a groundswell, so the energy is weak to moderate, with the combined energy mostly sitting between 100 and 250 (moderate). Unfortunately, for the entire first week, the wind is a persistent cross or cross-onshore breeze at 15-19 mph. This is creating lumpy, choppy conditions day in, day out. There's no standout in that first week, no glassy windows, just poor surf quality all round.

We do get a bit of shine on Friday morning, September 18, and again on Monday, September 21. The wind swings to a cross-offshore direction from the southeast, cleaning things up nicely, and the swell pushes to 5 ft from the east with a 7-second period. The energy is a bit more respectable (224 and 240 respectively). These are the two best windows in the whole period, but they're short-lived as the wind shifts back onshore in the afternoons. For a surfer, these are your moments – the dawn patrols you might actually get a couple of clean ones. But overall, these aren't world-class conditions.

After that, into the last week of September, the swell drops off. By Friday, September 25, we're down to 3 ft to 4 ft with periods of just 5 to 6 seconds, and the energy plummets to 80 to 111 (weak). The wind remains a messy cross/onshore affair. The last few days of the run (September 27-29) see a slight bump back to 4 ft to 5 ft and 7-second period, but the wind is still not your friend. For the majority of this outlook, the setup is more interesting for a kiteboarder than a paddle surfer given the persistent strong cross-shore wind and short-period chop.

If you're desperate, those Friday and Monday morning slots (September 18 and 21) are your best bet. But it's a lean run. When the consistency is high but the quality is low, it tends not to stay this poor forever, but right now, it's a waiting game.

– Rusty.

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