Tandjung-Lefts Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s break it down.

Right now, there’s not much to get excited about. We’re looking at a long run of onshore wind and messy conditions across the entire forecast, with only a few windows where the surf might clean up enough to be worth a paddle. The first real chance of anything decent is still over a week away, so patience is key.

Let’s start with the big picture. For the next several days, from Sunday 23rd August right through to Thursday 27th August, it’s pretty grim. Swell is coming from the SSW, around 3 ft to 6 ft, with a long period between 14 and 16 seconds, so there’s some groundswell energy in the water. But the wind is stubbornly cross-onshore from the ESE or SE, blowing at 15 to 25 km/h. That’s ruining any chance of clean surf. Combined energy values are moderate to strong, hitting 1721 on Sunday morning, but with that wind, it’s just choppy and poor. Not worth suiting up.

Thursday 27th afternoon shows a brief uptick – the swell period jumps to 20 seconds, which is very long, and the combined energy hits 2028. But again, cross-onshore wind from the SSE at 20 km/h makes it marginal. You’d be fighting the chop.

Now, Friday 28th August – this is where things get a bit more interesting. The swell bumps up to 8 ft in the morning from the SSW, with a 16-second period and combined energy of 3565. That’s a serious amount of energy. But here’s the catch: the wind is still cross-onshore from the SE at 15 km/h. The rating is marginal, not poor, so it’s one of the better options in this run. Still, it’s not clean. For an advanced reef break like Tandjung-Lefts, this swell size is solid but manageable for experienced surfers. Beginners would find it too big. The long period groundswell will favour the reef setup, but the cross-onshore wind will make it lumpy.

Saturday 29th August keeps the swell around 6 ft with similar period and combined energy around 1432. Wind stays cross-onshore, though lighter at 15 km/h from the SSE. Still marginal, but again, one of the better days if you’re desperate.

From Sunday 30th August onward, the swell drops off, and the wind continues to plague the lineup. By Monday 31st August, the period climbs to 19 seconds in the morning, but with only 4 ft of swell and cross-onshore wind, it’s poor. There’s a slight improvement on Tuesday 1st September, with 6 ft swell and 16-second period, combined energy of 1979 to 2124, but the wind is still cross-onshore. It’s marginal at best.

Wednesday 2nd September is similar – 6 ft, 17-second period, moderate energy (1859), but again cross-onshore wind. The pattern is relentless.

The best bet in the entire 16-day window is probably Friday 28th August morning. That 8 ft SSW swell with 16-second period and 3565 combined energy is the biggest, most powerful swell of the period. For an advanced reef break, that’s the one to circle on the calendar. But don’t expect perfection – the wind won’t be offshore, so you’ll have to deal with some chop. It’s a standout purely on size and power, not on cleanliness.

There’s no point mentioning any other breaks because the only spot in the data is Tandjung-Lefts. It’s a consistent reef break, but with this persistent cross-onshore wind, it’s a tough run. If you’re a kite surfer, this kind of wind and swell combo might actually be more interesting than paddle surfing – the cross-onshore breeze and decent swell could make for some good sessions.

Water temperature is about average for this time of year, nothing unusual there.

So, to sum it up: don’t expect much for the next week. Friday 28th August morning is the standout, but it’s far from perfect. After that, it’s more of the same – marginal surf with onshore wind. Keep an eye on the forecasts, because this stretch could easily improve if the wind shifts.

Rusty

Read more