Tamarama Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at the next couple of weeks for our patch.

First up, the water temp is sitting at 64°F, which is about 0.5°F cooler than normal for this time of year – nothing to write home about, just your average September chill.

Right now, we’re staring down the barrel of a rough start. The first few days are a write-off. Sunday the 6th is a total mess with strong cross-shore winds and lumpy, poor surf. The swell is small and short-period – not worth paddling out. Monday the 7th is the first glimmer, and it’s a beauty. Monday morning at Tamarama Reef (the only spot in the mix) is looking glassy with a light NNW breeze, 5ft of SSE swell, and a moderate energy reading of 261. The swell is a bit short-period at 8 seconds, but that glassy surface will have the reef lines looking clean. This is the standout for the early part of the forecast.

Then things get pretty average again. Tuesday the 8th sees a jump in size – 8ft SSE swell – but the wind is cross-on and choppy, and the energy is very strong (1209), but the conditions are poor. That kind of size with messy wind is only for the brave, or the kite crowd. The rest of the week is plagued by strong winds, lumpy seas, and poor surf quality. There’s a decent window on Saturday the 12th morning – glassy conditions again, with 7ft of S swell at 9 seconds, and the energy is 789. That’s a solid moderate push, and the glassy surface will have the reef holding shape. It’s the second standout, but it’s a short window.

The following week is a mixed bag. Sunday the 13th morning is clean with a cross-off breeze and 4ft of S swell, period stretching to 11 seconds – that’s a longer period groundswell, which will give the reef lines some real grunt and longer waits between sets. Monday the 14th morning is also decent with offshore winds and a 4ft SSE swell, very long period at 12 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell, but the size is small. After that, the swell drops away and the winds turn messy again. There’s a gap from around the 17th onwards where the surf is small and weak, with energy values dropping below 100 – just tiny, weak waves for days.

The real standouts are Monday morning the 7th of September and Saturday morning the 12th of September. Both offer glassy conditions, clean surfaces, and solid, surfable swell. The rest of the time, you’ll be fighting the wind or the chop. The reef is inconsistent at the best of times, but when it’s clean, it’s worth the wait.

Stay tuned, forecasts can change.

Rusty.

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