Tallebudgera Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve gotta be straight with ya – the next 16 days at Tallebudgera are a real mixed bag, and it’s going to take a bit of patience to find a window. The pattern starts off with a whole lot of nothin’ special, with cross-onshore winds and small, messy swell gumming things up. The first week is pretty grim, but there’s a couple of clear standouts in the second week that’ll be worth the wait.

The first time you’d want to paddle out is Tuesday morning, the 4th of August. We’ve got a tiny 3ft swell from the SSE, with a period of 9 seconds – that’s short-period wind swell, so the waves will be a bit choppy and lack oomph. The combined energy is weak at 165. But the big win here is the wind: a light NNW breeze, cross-offshore, so the surface will be clean. It’s surfable, but very ordinary. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no nasty surprises.

Wednesday morning, the 5th of August, is a real tease. The swell bumps up slightly to 3ft from the E, with a 10-second period, and the combined energy is 199 – still weak. But the wind goes glassy, dead calm, with 0 mph. That means the surface will be like a mirror. It’s just a shame the swell is so small and weak; you’ll be scratching for anything rideable. It’s a classic “could be good if there was more swell” situation.

Then we hit a long dry spell. From Thursday the 6th right through to Monday the 10th, it’s all poor surf conditions – small, messy swell, and onshore winds making it bumpy. The energy stays low, under 300. A couple of those mornings have a bit of clean wind, but the swell is too tiny to get excited about. You’re better off staying on the beach.

Now, this is where it gets interesting. Tuesday morning, the 11th of August, is the standout of the whole outlook. The swell jumps to 4ft from the SE, with a nice 11-second period – that’s a proper groundswell, with decent shape and energy. The combined energy is 459, a solid moderate level. The wind is a light NW breeze, cross-offshore, and the forecast says “expect good surf conditions.” This is the day to clear your schedule. The break is a breakwater, so it’ll handle that longer period swell well, and with clean conditions, it’ll be lining up. Crowds are listed as “often,” so expect company, but it’ll be worth it.

Wednesday morning, the 12th of August, is another good option. The swell drops a touch to 3ft from the SE, with a 10-second period, and the combined energy is 384. The wind is again a light NNW breeze, cross-offshore, and it’s clean. It’s a step down from Tuesday, but still a solid, fun morning session.

Thursday morning, the 13th of August, is a bit of a letdown. The swell is only 3ft from the ESE, with an 11-second period, and the energy is down to 206. The wind is clean, cross-offshore again, but the swell is just too small to get excited about. It’s surfable, but very ordinary.

After that, it’s a grim end to the fortnight. From Friday the 14th through to Monday the 17th, the wind cranks up from the SSE at 15-22 mph, with fresh, lumpy cross-onshore conditions. The swell gets bigger – up to 8ft on Friday morning – but with that wind, it’ll be a messy, blown-out mess. The combined energy hits 1367 on Friday morning, which is strong, but it’s all wind-affected. For advanced surfers, it might be a challenge, but for most, it’s a write-off.

So, the pick of the bunch is Tuesday the 11th of August, morning session. Get in early, and you’ll score clean, chest-high groundswell with decent shape. Wednesday the 12th morning is your backup plan. The rest of the time, keep your board in the car and your eyes on the forecast.

Rusty.

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