Tamarama Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer at Tamarama Reef. This spot is a tricky little reef, and it’s inconsistent, so it doesn’t pump all the time. When it’s on, it’s a proper advanced wave, but you’ve gotta pick your moments.

The water’s sitting at about 64°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The next couple of days are a bit of a write-off for any proper surf. Thursday afternoon is tiny and messy, not worth paddling out for. Friday morning shows a bit more life with a 5ft south swell, but the wind is cross-offshore, so it’s clean but nothing special. The energy is moderate (438), but it’s just not that exciting. Friday afternoon gets a bit of onshore wind, making it sloppy. Saturday morning holds a similar 5ft south swell with a longer 11-second period, which gives it some punch (529), but again, it’s just okay. The rest of that weekend and into Monday is all marginal, with wind messing things up.

Tuesday the 28th sees the swell drop right off, but the wind goes light offshore or even glassy. That’s a nice window for a clean, tiny wave. The energy is weak (85), but if you’re just after a paddle and a few dribblers, it’s as good as it gets for that scale. The morning is offshore and clean, and the afternoon is glassy. Still, it’s only 2ft to 2ft, so don’t expect much.

Then it goes quiet again. Wednesday and Thursday are tiny with onshore wind and poor surf. There’s a bit of a bump on Thursday the 30th with a 5ft short-period swell, but the wind is cross-onshore and choppy, so it’s a mess. Friday the 31st is a little better with a clean 4ft south swell, but it’s still just average.

Now, the real story here is the second week. From Sunday the 2nd of August onwards, the swell absolutely hammers in. The problem is, it’s too big for this reef. By Sunday morning, you’re looking at 12ft of south swell, and the combined energy is massive (3557). That’s expert-only territory, and even then, the wind is cross-shore and choppy. The wind gets worse in the afternoon with a near gale. This pattern continues all the way through to the 7th of August, with waves consistently between 10ft and 13ft. The energy readings are huge, often in the thousands. The wind is generally onshore or cross-onshore, so it’s blown out and messy. A couple of windows show glassy or offshore wind, like Thursday the 6th morning with a 13ft SE swell and glassy conditions (4989 energy), but that’s still a massive, dangerous wave for this shallow reef. It’s only for the most experienced, and even then, it’s a gamble.

Honestly, the standout here is the clean, glassy morning on Tuesday the 28th of July. The wind is perfect, the wave is small, and it’s as clean as it gets. It’s not a big day, but for a solo session with no crowds, that’s the pick. The rest of the window is either too small, too windy, or way too big and angry.

Rusty

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