Tandjung-Lefts Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s happening out there.

We’ve got a solid run of swell on the way, but the wind is going to be the main character here, and not in a good way. For the first week plus, it’s a frustrating story of plenty of energy on the charts but the wind just won’t cooperate. The main spot on the radar is Tandjung-Lefts, a consistent advanced reef break that’s fairly exposed to the southern swell. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so nothing unusual there.

The surfable period kicks off Friday, August 7th, with a 7ft to 8ft SSW groundswell rolling in, but it’s coming with a moderate ESE cross-onshore breeze that’s making things choppy. The combined wave energy is strong, hitting 2795 (moderate to strong energy), but the quality just isn’t there. This same pattern holds through the weekend into Monday, August 10th. The swell ticks up nicely on Monday afternoon to 10ft SSW with a very long 18-second period, and the energy jumps to 4888, but that cross-onshore wind is still ruining the surface. It’s a real tease.

The best chance for something half-decent looks like Tuesday, August 11th. The swell holds at 10ft from the SSW, and while the wind is still cross-onshore, it eases to a gentle breeze, making it just “fairly choppy” instead of a mess. The energy is huge, hitting 5789 on Tuesday afternoon. But be warned – at 10ft, this is expert territory only. This is a long-period groundswell, great for a reef like Tandjung-Lefts, but that onshore wind is still a major downer. The crowds here are a “sometimes” deal, so you might have it to yourself, but likely for a reason.

That same pattern of solid swell and cross-onshore wind drags on through the rest of the week and into the next. Thursday, August 13th, sees another pulse of 10ft from the S with good energy (5304), but again, the wind is a problem. The outlook doesn’t really improve until Friday, August 21st, when we finally see a morning “on” wind from the ESE, which would be offshore for this break. The swell is 8ft from the SSW, and combined energy is 2784. It’s a brief window and over a week away, so promise with caution.

The final days of the window, from August 17th onward, are mostly poor, with the swell dropping and the wind staying cross-onshore until that brief hope on the 21st. Honestly, for the first 14 days, the consistent onshore wind will make you want to consider kiting instead of paddling, despite the size. The standout is probably Tuesday, August 11th for the sheer size and energy, but don’t expect perfection.

Rusty

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