Tamarama Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. This is Rusty, and I’m looking at the next 16 days for Tamarama Reef.

To be straight with you, the outlook is a long and slow grind for most of the period. The first week is pretty much a write-off, with only a small window of decent surf. The second week doesn’t offer much to get excited about either. The water temp is sitting at 62°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll want a good wetsuit if you’re paddling out.

The first real chance for anything worthwhile comes on Sunday, July 19th. The swell jumps up to 7ft from the ENE with an 11-second period, and the combined energy is strong at 1083. That’s a solid pulse of energy, but the wind is onshore and strong from the SE at 12 mph, which is going to make it a messy, choppy affair. It’s a big swell for a reef break, and only for the experienced crew. The conditions are marginal, so don’t get your hopes up.

The standout of the whole forecast is the Monday morning, July 20th. We’ve got clean, offshore wind from the NW at 6 mph, with a 5ft swell from the ENE at 10 seconds. The combined energy is a solid 631. This is the best window – clean, lined up, and the offshore flow will hold it together. This is your best bet over the whole 16 days.

After that, the surf drops off quickly. Tuesday morning, July 21st, has clean 4ft surf from the ENE with light NNW winds, but the energy is already dropping to 395. It’s surfable, but nothing special. From Wednesday, July 22nd, right through to the end of the month, the swell is small and weak, mostly under 3ft, with combined energy values dropping into the double digits and low hundreds. The wind is often cross-offshore or clean, but there’s just not enough wave to work with. There are many days with no real recommendations.

The very end of the run, on Saturday, August 1st, shows a bit of a bump with a 3ft S swell and a 12-second period, but the wind is howling from the WSW at 19 mph. That’s a fresh breeze, and it will be blown out and messy. The energy is moderate at 311, but the wind kills it for a paddle surfer. That setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

So, to sum it up: your one and only true standout is Monday morning, July 20th. Get out there early. The rest of the 16 days is a long, quiet stretch with small, weak waves and poor conditions.

Rusty.

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