Tamarama Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – the next couple of weeks at Tamarama Reef have a long, slow start, but there’s a promising run of proper surf waiting for those who are patient. This spot is a tricky reef setup for advanced surfers only, and it’s inconsistent, so when it fires, you need to be on it.

The water temp is sitting at 64°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.

The first week is mostly a write-off. Sunday the 12th and Monday the 13th are flat with poor surf, just tiny dribbles of 0.7 ft to 2 ft. The combined swell energy is weak, barely pushing 95 or less. Not worth paddling out.

Tuesday the 14th is even smaller, with 0.3 ft to 0.7 ft of swell – total dud. Wednesday the 15th sees a big jump in size, with 7 ft to 8 ft of short-period swell (8-9 seconds) from the south, but the wind is a cross-onshore breeze, making it choppy and messy. The energy is moderate to strong (666 to 950), but the quality is poor. By Thursday the 16th and through to Saturday the 18th, it’s a similar story: 5 ft to 6 ft of short-period, wind-affected slop. The wind stays cross-onshore, the surf is lumpy, and the combined energy is moderate (327 to 572). Not a great look for a paddle – this setup might be more interesting for kite surfing than surfing.

Now, the real action starts on Sunday the 19th of July. The swell builds to 8 ft to 8 ft with a longer period of 11 seconds from the east, and the energy rockets up to 1433 to 1637 – that’s strong, powerful groundswell. The wind is light on Sunday morning (gentle cross-onshore), but by the afternoon it turns onshore, so it’s still a bit marginal. The best of the entire forecast is Monday the 20th of July. You’ve got 7 ft of east swell with a 11-second period, strong energy (1228), and a light offshore wind from the northwest in the morning. That’s clean, lined-up, and powerful – perfect for experienced crew. The afternoon holds up well too, with a cross-off breeze and 7 ft waves. Tuesday the 21st is still good, with 6 ft and clean conditions, but the energy drops a bit.

The second week has some more standouts. Wednesday the 22nd of July morning brings 5 ft of long-period swell (13 seconds) from the east, light offshore wind, and excellent conditions – 1150 energy, real quality. Thursday the 23rd morning is another cracker: 5 ft of south swell, 10-second period, moderate offshore wind, and clean surf. Friday the 24th afternoon and Saturday the 25th both have solid 5 ft to 6 ft of east-southeast swell with good periods (12 seconds), clean winds, and strong energy (1080 to 1111). The window of quality closes on Sunday the 26th, when it drops back to 4 ft and weakens.

The standout is Monday the 20th of July morning – that’s the pick of the bunch. It’s got the biggest clean swell, offshore wind, and strong energy. The second best is Wednesday the 22nd morning, with its long-period groundswell and glassy conditions. Keep in mind, this reef is inconsistent and best for advanced surfers, and crowds are possible here, so expect company if the conditions are good. The best direction is a southeast swell, and the east swells we’re getting are still firing well.

Rusty.

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