Tamarin Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, looking at the surf ahead for Tamarin Bay. It’s a reef set-up that’s pretty exposed, but man, it’s inconsistent – it doesn’t just fire up on its own. Right now, the water is sitting at 77°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you might not need the thickest rubber.

The next few days are a bit of a write-off for a decent paddle. We’ve got some solid swell energy on the go – pushing 3023 (combined energy of all swells directed here) on Sunday the 30th of August – but the wind is a cross-off and the forecast is calling it marginal. The swell is 8ft from the south with a 14-second period, which is a powerful groundswell. For a reef break, that’s a proper wave, but it’s too big for beginners and the conditions aren’t lining up. This stretch of poor to marginal surf runs right through to the end of the first week of September.

The first real standout window starts to show on Saturday the 5th of September. The morning has a 5ft south-southwest swell with a 15-second period, and the energy is still solid at 974. The wind is a cross-off, so it’s clean. Then, Sunday the 6th of September is the pick of the first week. The swell drops to 4ft from the southwest, but the wind goes glassy in the morning and then swings to a glassy offshore in the afternoon. That’s a dream scenario for a clean, lined-up reef wave. The combined energy is 582 in the morning and 713 in the afternoon – moderate energy, but with that offshore wind, the wave shape will be worth the paddle.

Monday the 7th of September is also very good, with a 5ft south-southwest swell and a light cross-off breeze keeping things clean. The crowd profile at Tamarin Bay says it’s often busy, so get there early for the good ones.

Now, looking into the second week, things get a bit more interesting but less certain. Tuesday the 8th of September sees a big jump in size – 13ft from the south-southwest with a 16-second period, and the combined energy is a massive 7636. That’s a lot of power. But the wind is a cross-on, and it’s a bit choppy. This is only for experts, and it might be more of a kite scene than a surf scene given the strong conditions and the beach-and-reef setup. The swell drops to 10ft in the afternoon.

Wednesday the 9th of September has a 8ft south-southwest swell, but the wind is cross-shore and messy. The real potential pops up again on Thursday the 10th of September. The morning has 5ft from the south with an 18-second period, and the energy is 1664. The wind is a clean cross-off. The afternoon pumps up to 8ft from the south with the same 18-second period and a massive 3987 energy. Again, cross-off wind keeps it clean. This is a big, long-period groundswell – it’ll be powerful and a bit straight at a beach break, but on a reef like Tamarin, it’ll be a proper heavy wave. Only for the experienced crew.

The real standout for the whole outlook, though, is Sunday the 13th of September. The morning session has a 4ft south-southwest swell with a 13-second period, and the wind is glassy. The combined energy is 700 – moderate, but with glassy conditions, that’s your ticket to clean, fun waves on a reef. The afternoon stays clean with a light cross-off. That’s the one to circle.

So, to wrap it up: the start is a bit of a dud, but the first serious window is Sunday the 6th of September with glassy conditions. The big, powerful stuff comes mid-week, but it’s for experts only. The real gem is Sunday the 13th of September – glassy, clean, and just right.

Rusty.

Read more