Tamarama Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, straight up, this 16-day window is a mixed bag. We’ve got a decent little run of surf kicking off this Friday morning, but after that, it’s a long, quiet grind until a big pulse of energy shows up in the second week. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing too wild to report there.

Let’s start with the standout. Friday morning, 28 August, is your best bet. Tamarama Reef is looking clean with a solid 5ft swell out of the SSE. The period’s sitting at 11 seconds, so there’s some proper groundswell energy in the water – that’ll give you good shape, especially on a reef setup like this. Wind is light WSW at 3 mph, cross-offshore, so the face will be clean. Combined swell energy is a moderate 700. It’s an exposed spot, but with that direction and wind, it’ll be working well. It is an inconsistent break, so don’t expect non-stop sets, but when they come, they’ll be worth it. Crowds are possible here sometimes, so get in early.

Friday afternoon the wind swings around and the quality drops right off – choppy, cross-on conditions, so you’ll want to be out of the water by then.

Saturday morning, 29 August, there’s still some 5ft SSE swell, but the wind is cross-on from the SSW at 6 mph. It’s only marginal, with a bit of bump on the surface. The energy is still moderate at 620, but it’s not going to be as clean as Friday.

Sunday morning, 30 August, the swell drops to 3ft from the S, but the wind swings to WSW at 6 mph, cross-off, so the surface cleans right up. It’s a smaller, fun-sized day with moderate energy (249). Worth a paddle if you’re keen for a slow, easy session.

Monday morning, 31 August, brings a similar 4ft S swell, but the wind goes offshore from the NW at 6 mph. That’s a beautiful thing – glassy conditions on a reef. Energy is moderate at 310. This is another clean, mellow morning.

Tuesday morning, 1 September, the swell drops further to 3ft from the S, but it’s still clean with a light N cross-off. The period stretches to 11 seconds, so the waves will have a bit more push despite the smaller size. Energy is moderate at 213.

After that, things get skinny. Wednesday through to the end of the first week and into the start of the second, the swell fades away. From Wednesday morning, 2 September, we’re looking at 2ft or less, with only weak energy readings. There are a few days with offshore wind, but the swell just isn’t there. This is a proper lull – about a week of very small, unremarkable surf.

Then, hold onto your board. Monday morning, 7 September, a big pulse arrives. Swell jumps to 8ft from the S, with a period of 11 seconds. The combined energy is strong at 1261. That’s a serious amount of juice. But – and this is a big but – the wind is cross from the SW at 16 mph, and the conditions are described as marginal. At that size, 8ft, this is really only for experienced surfers. The cross-shore wind is going to chop it up, so it’ll be a challenging session. Not the clean, groomed day we saw on Friday.

Tuesday morning, 8 September, the swell drops to a more manageable 4ft from the S, and the wind swings to WNW at 6 mph, cross-off. Energy is moderate at 355. This could be a nice, clean follow-up day for those who can wait.

After that, it fades again. The rest of the second week is small and mostly ordinary, with a few clean mornings but not enough swell to get excited about. The NE windswell that tries to show up around 10 and 11 September is short-period and weak, so not worth chasing.

So, if you want the best of it: Friday morning, 28 August, is the clear winner. Clean, solid groundswell, light offshore wind. Monday morning, 31 August, is a nice backup. The big pulse on 7 September is powerful but rough – only for the keen and the skilled.

This is Rusty, signing off. Stay salty.

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