Tamarama Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it—this is a tough stretch for Tamarama Reef. We’re looking at a 16-day window with very little to get excited about. The first surf we can even talk about doesn’t roll in until Tuesday afternoon the 11th, and there’s a solid gap of nothing worth paddling out for before that.

The week starts off pretty woeful. Sunday the 9th and Monday the 10th see some solid swell, but the wind is howling—25 to 28 mph offshore on Monday. That’s a strong offshore breeze, and while it keeps the surface clean, these waves are gonna be hard as hell to paddle into. Not worth the battle.

Then we get a bit of a lifeline on Tuesday afternoon, August 11th. The water temp is sitting at 62°F, which is about 3°F colder than average this time of year—so it’s a bit nippy, but nothing crazy. The wind fades to a gentle offshore breeze from the west at 9 mph, and we’ve got a 5ft swell pushing in from the south with a 12-second period. That’s groundswell, and it’s packing some proper energy (combined energy of 625). This is a reef setup, so that long-period swell will wrap in nicely, offering some well-shaped, powerful waves. It’s an advanced-only spot, and with the light offshore, conditions should be glassy and clean. This is the standout of the entire forecast—honestly, the only real standout.

Thursday morning the 13th has a similar-sized 6ft south swell but the wind swings cross-off, which still keeps it clean-ish. Still, the quality isn’t as good as Tuesday. Friday morning the 14th offers some 4ft south swell with light cross-off wind, but it’s just okay—nothing special.

After that, it’s a barren run. From Saturday the 15th right through to Thursday the 20th, the swell drops right off, winds are mostly onshore or cross-onshore, and we’re looking at tiny, weak, sloppy conditions. There’s a brief flicker on Tuesday morning the 18th with glassy conditions and a tiny 2ft swell, but it’s barely surfable.

We do get a late pulse kicking in around Saturday the 22nd, with a 6ft easterly swell picking up, and then Sunday the 23rd looks promising if you’re further out—7ft from the east-northeast with a strong offshore from the northwest at 19 mph. The combined energy is massive at 1119, so there’s plenty of power, but this is a shallow reef break. That much swell with a full onshore wind shift later means it’s only for experts, and tide could be a factor. It’s a week and a half away, so take it with a grain of salt.

For the average surfer, the Tuesday afternoon on the 11th is your play. Everything else is either too small, too windy, or too messy.

Stay tuned, things can change.
Rusty.

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