Tallebudgera Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Tallebudgera over the next couple of weeks.

Straight up, I’ll be honest with ya – it’s a pretty grim stretch for the Gold Coast’s Tallebudgera breakwater. The whole 16-day window is a bit of a write-off for a decent paddle. We’ve got a real long flat spell to kick things off. From Friday the 4th right through to the end of Sunday the 6th, there’s barely a ripple worth paddling for, with wave heights hovering around 1 ft to 2 ft and weak energy. The wind is all over the shop, mostly cross or cross-on, so the surface is messy.

Monday the 7th and Tuesday the 8th see a tiny bump in energy, but it’s still poor surf. The swell tries to push up to 3 ft on Monday morning with energy picking up, but it’s a short period southerly with a cross-onshore breeze. The afternoon gets a bit of size but the wind is right on it. Tuesday morning drops back down, but Tuesday afternoon sees a jump in energy with a 3 ft southerly swell – still, the wind is cross-onshore and choppy. Not worth the drive.

Now, Wednesday the 9th is the one tiny glimmer in the whole outlook. The morning session is the only time we get a “glassy” wind state. The swell is 4 ft from the SSE, with a period of 8 seconds, and moderate energy. It’s surfable, but very ordinary. The water temp is about average for the time of year. The problem is, that same afternoon the wind cranks up to 12 mph from the NNE, ruining the surface. This is the only real window of opportunity, and it’s a marginal one at best.

After that, things get ugly. Thursday the 10th brings a big jump in size, but it’s a total mess. The morning sees 8 ft from the SSE, but with a 16 mph southerly cross-wind, it’s lumpy. The afternoon is a beast: 10 ft from the SSE with 19 mph winds and a massive energy reading. That’s some serious power, but it’s a washing machine. This is strictly for experts only, and even then, the wind is so strong it’s going to be a battle. Honestly, with that kind of wind and chop, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The rest of the week into the second week is a sad story. Friday the 11th through to Sunday the 13th have some swell (4 ft to 7 ft) and moderate energy, but the wind is persistently cross or cross-onshore, keeping the surface choppy and poor. By Monday the 14th we’re back to tiny, weak waves, and it stays that way through to the end of the forecast. There’s a brief moment on Friday the 18th afternoon where the wind goes offshore from the WNW at 16 mph, with a 6 ft SSE swell and solid energy, giving us clean conditions. But it’s classified as marginal. It’s the best of a bad bunch if you’re desperate, but it’s nothing to get excited about.

So, the bottom line: there are no standouts here. The only true highlight is Wednesday morning the 9th for a glassy, small wave session. The rest is a lot of wind, chop, and either too small or too messy. Tallebudgera is a fairly consistent break, so this blank run is a bit of a bummer, but forecasts can change. Keep an eye on it.

Rusty.

Read more