Tamarama Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. This is Rusty, and I’m looking at the next couple of weeks at Tamarama Reef.

Right now, there’s not much happening. The first proper surf to write home about won’t show up until Saturday the 30th of August, so we’ve got a long stretch of small, weak, and pretty ordinary conditions ahead. The first week is mostly a write-off, with tiny waves, a lot of cross-shore and onshore winds, and very little energy. The swell is barely registering, with combined energy readings often below 100 (weak). You’d be better off leaving the board at home.

Then, something shifts. Saturday the 30th of August brings a surge of long-period groundswell from the SSE. The swell jumps to 8ft in the morning, with a period of 18 seconds – that’s very long-period energy. The combined energy is enormous, hitting 4887 (very strong). But here’s the catch: the wind is a gentle cross-shore, and the break is a reef. This size and period, combined with a cross-shore, is going to be pretty wild. By the afternoon, it’s even bigger, around 10ft, and the wind turns cross-onshore. This is expert territory only, and even then, the wind direction is a real problem. The energy is immense, but it’s not clean.

The best window, and the standout for the whole period, is actually Monday the 31st of August into Tuesday the 1st of September. On Monday morning, the swell has dropped to a more manageable 4ft from the SSE, with a 12-second period (still a good groundswell). The combined energy is still strong at 829 (moderate-to-strong). The wind is a light cross-offshore from the NNE, which is clean. That’s your best chance for a decent session. The water temperature is around 62°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so don’t forget a good spring suit.

Tuesday the 1st of September morning is also worth a look. The swell is holding at 4ft from the SSE, with a 10-second period. The energy is moderate at 318. The wind is dead calm, glassy. That’s about as good as it gets for a reef break like this, with clean conditions and a solid, rideable swell. The afternoon blows out again though.

After that, the second week drops off the cliff. By Wednesday the 2nd, we’re back to tiny, weak surf and messy winds. The long-range call on that Monday-Tuesday window is promising, but it’s still a week and a half away, so keep an eye on the forecasts.

Overall, the only real standouts are the Monday the 31st of August morning and Tuesday the 1st of September morning. The rest of the 16 days is a bunch of flat, choppy, or blown-out junk.

Rusty.

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