Tamarama Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s have a look at what’s heading our way for Tamarama Reef over the next couple of weeks. Straight up, this spot is an exposed reef setup, only for advanced surfers, and it’s inconsistent – it doesn’t fire all that often, so when it does, you gotta be on it. The water temp is sitting at 64°F, which is bang on average for this time of year, nothing unusual.

The first proper window of surf kicks off on Saturday the 25th. We’ve got a clean 4ft swell from the south with a 10-second period and glassy conditions – wind is dead calm. The combined swell energy reads 363, which is moderate. It’s not huge, but for an inconsistent spot like this, clean and glassy is a real treat.

Sunday the 26th sees the swell bump up to 6ft from the south, period 11 seconds, and the swell energy jumps to 746 (moderate). The morning has a cross-offshore wind from the WSW at 15 km/h, keeping things clean. But by the afternoon, the wind swings onshore from the SE and the quality drops fast – that session is a write-off.

Monday the 27th is a bit smaller at 4ft from the south, 9-second period, energy at 208. The morning is clean with a light cross-offshore breeze from the WNW. Worth a paddle if you’re keen on a smaller, clean wave. The afternoon gets messy with a cross-shore NE wind.

Tuesday the 28th and Wednesday the 29th are small to flat, with only 2ft and then 0.3ft. Not worth getting wet.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting but dangerous. Thursday the 30th and Friday the 31st pump up to 10ft to 12ft from the south, with energy readings blasting into the thousands (4286 and 5213). That is very strong energy, but these waves are way too big for this reef – the forecast even says so. Only for absolute experts, and even then, the wind is a messy cross or cross-onshore. Leave it alone unless you’re insane.

The best standout of the whole outlook is Sunday the 2nd of August. We get a 7ft south-east swell with a very long 12-second period, and the morning brings a pure offshore wind from the NW at 15 km/h. The swell energy is 1124 (strong), and the conditions are glassy and clean. This is high-quality groundswell hitting an exposed reef with light offshore wind – that’s a recipe for excellent, powerful waves for experienced surfers. The period is over 11 seconds, so expect longer lulls between sets, but the shape and power will be worth the wait. The crowds are listed as ‘sometimes’ at this break, so you might have company, but it won’t be a zoo.

Monday the 3rd of August backs off a bit to 4ft from the SE, 10-second period, with a light offshore wind again in the morning. Energy is 303 (moderate), a solid follow-up day for those who missed Sunday.

There’s a small window on Friday the 7th of August morning: 8ft from the ESE, 8-second period, with a light cross-offshore wind. The energy is 740 (moderate), and conditions look clean. It’s a bit short-period, so the waves will be steeper and more dumpy, but it’s rideable for advanced crew.

After that, the surf fades into smaller, onshore dribble through the 8th and 9th of August. No real standouts in that final stretch.

So, to sum it up – the pick of the fortnight is without doubt Sunday morning, the 2nd of August. Get on it if you’ve got the skills. Clean, offshore, decent size, and proper long-period groundswell. That’s the one to circle.

Rusty.

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