Tamarama Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Tamarama Reef.

First off, the water is sitting at 62°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year – about 3° off, so you’ll want a decent wetsuit.

Right now, there’s not a whole lot to get excited about. The first real window of half-decent surf kicks off on Tuesday the 11th in the afternoon. We’ve got a 5ft south swell rolling in, with a period of 10 seconds. The combined energy is a solid moderate 625, so there’s some push behind it. The wind is a cross-offshore from the WSW at 15 mph, which will keep the surface pretty clean. This is a reef break and it’s an exposed spot for south swells, so it could offer up some fun, lined-up waves. It’s an advanced-only wave though, so if you’re not comfortable on a reef, give it a miss. Crowds are possible here.

Wednesday the 12th morning sees the south swell drop a bit to 4ft, still with a 10-second period and clean cross-off wind (W at 9 mph). Energy is moderate at 250. It’s still surfable, but nothing to rush out for.

After that, the wheels fall off for a solid stretch. From Wednesday afternoon right through to the morning of Friday the 21st, it’s a long run of poor surf – onshore winds, lumpy, choppy, or just messy. That’s about eight days of pretty average conditions. There’s some size in there, like Saturday the 15th with 6ft south swell, but it’s blown out by a fresh 22 mph cross-onshore. Not worth the paddle.

The first light at the end of the tunnel comes on Friday the 21st in the morning. We get a clean, offshore breeze from the NW at just 6 mph, with a 3ft east swell at 10 seconds. Energy is moderate at 172. It’s only surfable, not epic, but after that long wait, you’ll take it. Crowds are possible.

Saturday the 22nd morning is clean again with a WSW cross-off at 9 mph and a 3ft ENE swell (9-second period, energy 193). It’s still just ordinary conditions though.

The best chance in the whole outlook lands on Tuesday the 25th in the morning, but it’s a mixed bag. There’s a solid 8ft south swell with a 9-second period, and the combined energy is a strong 1968 – that’s proper power. Problem is, the wind is a fresh cross-onshore from the SSW at 19 mph, making for lumpy conditions. For expert surfers only at this size, and the wind is going to mess with the shape. If you’re a strong paddler and know the reef, it might offer some big, raw waves, but it’s not going to be pretty.

Wednesday the 26th morning cleans up again with a light WSW cross-off at 6 mph, but the swell drops right off to 3ft from the SSE with weak energy (107). Just ordinary.

Honestly, for the next two weeks, Tamarama Reef is mostly a write-off. The cleanest windows are short-lived and small, and the only day with real size is blown out. This setup might actually look more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing on those big, windy days. Keep an eye on the charts – things can change.

Rusty

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