Tandjung-Lefts Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the pipe for the next couple of weeks.

First up, the only spot on the menu is Tandjung-Lefts, an advanced-level reef break. Right now the water temp is sitting at 80°F, which is about average for this time of year, nothing wild there.

Honestly, the next few days are a bit of a write-off for any decent paddle surfing. We’ve got a solid amount of swell energy pumping in – Sunday morning the combined energy is hitting 1817 (moderate to strong), with 8ft of SE swell at 9 seconds. But the wind is a cross-onshore mess, blowing at 16 mph from the ESE, making it choppy and poor. That trend sticks through Monday with even stronger cross-onshore wind at 22 mph and lumpy waves. The surf quality just isn't there through the end of July.

We do see a shift in the swell direction starting Tuesday the 28th, swinging to a longer-period SSW groundswell (16 seconds), but the swell height drops to just 3ft and the wind stays cross-onshore. Combined energy is in the 600-700 range (weak). This pattern of small, long-period SSW swell with persistent cross-onshore winds basically runs through the first few days of August. The energy picks up into the 1000s and 1400s by late July/early August, but the conditions are always rated as "poor" or "marginal" due to the wind.

The standout window, if you can call it that, gets interesting around Thursday the 6th of August. The morning sees combined energy jump to 2290 (strong) with 7ft SSW swell at a long 16-second period. The really interesting part? For one moment on Thursday morning, the wind is listed as "on" from the ESE at 13 mph – a rare offshore for this spot. That would make it glassy and clean. The swell direction from the SSW matches the optimum direction for Tandjung-Lefts (S), which is great, and the period is long, giving good shape for a reef. However, the score is still marginal, so don't get your hopes too high. If those winds hold, it could be the one session to go for, though expect some company as crowds are possible here sometimes and it’s a consistent break.

Following that, we get a string of days from Friday the 7th through Sunday the 9th with 6ft to 7ft SSW swell, periods of 15-16 seconds, and combined energy in the 1200-2300 range (strong). The winds stay gentle to moderate cross-onshore, so it's not perfect, but the energy is there and the conditions are rated as "marginal" rather than "poor." It’s the best run of the whole forecast. The afternoon of Friday the 7th and Saturday the 8th get a score of 2, which is the highest we see, but still not great.

Overall, the first week is a bust. The only real glimmer is the offshore wind on Thursday the 6th of August. After that, we have a couple of decent, if not clean, days. For an advanced reef, these bigger swells (over 7ft) are fine for those with experience. It’s a pretty tough run, but forecasts can change.

Rusty.

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