Tallebudgera Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here. Let's be straight with you – it's a pretty grim outlook for Tallebudgera over the next couple of weeks. Honestly, we've got a long stretch of nothing special on the cards. The first real chance to even think about a paddle doesn't show up until Sunday afternoon, the 6th of September, and even then it's nothing to write home about.

So, the start of the period is a write-off. Saturday the 5th is small and messy with a light cross-onshore breeze mucking things up, combined wave energy sitting at a weak 98 (Saturday morning). That's a hard pass.

Then we finally get a flicker on Sunday the 6th. The afternoon brings a clean, offshore breeze out of the west at 6 mph, which is a major positive. The swell is a modest 5 ft from the north, but the period is a short 6 seconds – that's windswell, not groundswell, so it'll be a bit weak and crumbly. The combined energy is still only moderate at 176. It's surfable, but very ordinary. If you're an advanced surfer and desperate, that Sunday arvo is your best (and really only) shout.

The rest of the week is mostly poor. Monday the 7th sees the swell bumping up to 5 ft to 6 ft from the SSE, and the combined energy ramps right up to strong levels (1166 on Monday afternoon), but the wind is a nasty cross-onshore, turning it into a choppy mess. The break at Tallebudgera is a breakwater, so it's fairly exposed, but that onshore wind will kill any quality. Tuesday the 8th is more of the same, but the wind gets stronger – 16 mph cross-onshore – making it even rougher.

There's a small window on Wednesday morning the 9th where the swell is 6 ft (SSE) with a 10-second period, giving it moderate energy (648), but the wind is a light cross-onshore. The forecast calls it "marginal," and that's about right. It'd be a gamble.

Things get a bit more serious on Thursday the 10th. The combined energy hits a very strong 1366 on Thursday afternoon, with a 10 ft SSE swell. That is big, and for a breakwater you'd want to be an expert only at that size. But the wind is a fresh cross-onshore at 22 mph, making it lumpy and hostile. Honestly, that setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

After that, it's a long, slow decline. From the 12th of September right through to the 20th, the swell drops back under 3 ft almost every day, with persistent cross or cross-onshore winds. There's one moment of calm on Monday the 14th – a glassy afternoon with no wind and a 3 ft SSE swell, but the combined energy is weak (185). It'd be clean, but tiny. Not one for the highlight reel.

To sum it up: the standout is the Sunday afternoon, 6th of September for the clean offshore wind, or the Monday morning, 14th of September for a glassy but small session. But if you're looking for pumping waves, this 16-day run is a dud. The break is fairly consistent but the conditions just aren't lining up. Stay patient.

Rusty.

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