Tamarama Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab a coffee and lend me your ears. This is a tough one to call.

Let's be honest, the next couple of weeks at Tamarama Reef are looking pretty grim for any decent surf. The whole forecast period is a real dry spell. We're looking at a solid week of small, weak, and messy conditions before anything even gets close to being rideable. The first real glimmer of hope doesn't show up until around Thursday the 20th of August, and even then it's a real struggle.

The water temp is sitting about where you'd expect for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.

Let's break it down. The first few days are a write-off. Thursday morning the 13th has a tiny 3ft south swell, but the wind is a cross-off, and the overall energy is weak (187). By the afternoon, it's onshore and messy. Friday the 14th is a bit better with a clean morning, but the swell is only 3ft and the period is short at 8 seconds. The energy is barely there (185). The rest of that week into the weekend is just a mix of light rain, cross-onshore winds, and choppy conditions. Not worth paddling out for.

The following week is a little better but still not great. Monday the 17th and Tuesday the 18th are dominated by onshore winds and short-period easterly slop. The energy is moderate but it's all wind-chop.

The first real window opens up on Thursday morning the 20th of August. We've got a tiny 3ft easterly swell with a very clean offshore breeze from the NNW. The combined energy is weak (51) but it's clean. The waves will be small and weak, but it's the best we've seen. Friday morning the 21st is similar, with a 2ft east swell and a light cross-off breeze. Both mornings are surfable, but it's strictly for the longboard or foiling crew.

The weekend of the 22nd and 23rd of August looks a bit more promising. Saturday morning and afternoon both have a clean offshore breeze from the NW and WNW. The swell is still tiny at 2ft, but the period is a little better on the afternoon (8 seconds) and the energy is picking up a bit (68). Sunday the 23rd has a bigger 3ft ENE swell with a 10-second period, and the wind is a clean cross-off. The energy is moderate (139) but the comment says "poor surf conditions," so I'd be cautious. By Sunday afternoon, the wind picks up to a fresh 19 mph, making it choppy again.

The following week is a bit of a mixed bag. Monday the 24th has a clean cross-off and a 3ft ENE swell, but the energy is moderate (172). The same goes for Wednesday the 26th, but that's when things get a bit more interesting. We've got a solid 7ft south swell on Wednesday morning, but it's cross-onshore and choppy. The energy is strong (760). By Wednesday afternoon, the swell jumps to 8ft from the south with a 11-second period, and the energy is massive (1782). That's a lot of water moving around, but the wind is a fresh cross-onshore, so it's going to be lumpy and tough. This is expert-only territory, and even then, it's a battle.

Honestly, the standout is a tough call. The cleanest conditions are on Thursday the 20th and Friday the 21st of August, but the swell is tiny. If you're desperate for a paddle, those are the only windows with any real quality. The biggest swell is on the 26th, but it's a windy mess.

For the purest wave quality, I'd say the best bet is Saturday morning the 22nd of August. The swell is small (2ft), but the wind is a gentle offshore from the NW, keeping it glassy. The period is 6 seconds, so it's a short-period wind swell, but it's clean. The crowd factor is "sometimes," so you might have a few mates out, but it won't be a zoo. For a tiny, clean wave on a reef, that's about as good as it gets in this run.

The longer-range stuff on the 26th is just too big and windy to be fun. Stick to the small windows if you're keen.

Rusty.

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