Tandjung-Lefts Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. We’ve got a long stretch ahead for Tandjung-Lefts, and to be honest, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. The whole 16-day window is on the table, but the first week or so is gonna be a test of patience. The core issue is a persistent cross-onshore wind that’s going to mess with the surface. We do have some solid groundswell energy on the way, but it’s going to take a while for the stars to align for a proper session.

The water temp is around 80°, which is right on the money for this time of year – nothing unusual there.

Right out of the gate, Saturday the 15th has some size, with 7ft of SSW groundswell and a very long period of 17 seconds. The combined energy is a solid 2770, so there’s plenty of juice. But that ESE wind is blowing cross-on at 9 mph, and the report says it’s “fairly choppy”. It’s a consistent reef break, so there will be waves, but the quality is going to be ordinary. Sunday the 16th is similar: plenty of power (1933 energy) but the same cross-on breeze messing up the face. For the first few days, the conditions are just marginal. The wind has the upper hand.

Now, there’s a notable run of surf from around Monday the 17th into Tuesday the 18th; the swell drops off to around 4ft, so it’s smaller but still plagued by that cross-onshore wind. The energy levels drop too, down to around 800, so it's weak.

The big energy starts to build again around Wednesday the 19th with a 7ft SSW swell at 18 seconds, and the combined energy hits 3029. That’s a powerful, long-period groundswell. But again, we’ve got that moderate cross-onshore wind making it choppy. For a reef like this, an 18-second swell is generally a good sign for shape and power, but the wind is the killer.

The standout period looks like it could be the stretch from Thursday the 20th through to Friday the 21st. The swell holds strong at 8ft and 8ft on the 20th with 16-second periods, with energy readings over 3000. That’s a serious amount of water moving. If you are an advanced surfer, this is the size and power you want for a reef, but the winds are still cross-on. Conditions are “fairly choppy” or “choppy”. For most, it’s going to be a battle. The size is over 8ft, so this is definitely expert territory.

From Saturday the 22nd onwards, the surf quality drops off. The swell begins to fade, and the wind remains a stubborn cross-onshore breeze. The energy is lower, and the reports consistently say “poor surf conditions” through the end of the month. There’s a small pulse on Thursday the 27th afternoon with a spike to 6ft at 18 seconds from the SSW and 2326 energy, but that cross-onshore wind will still be there.

The real highlight, and the best chance for a good session, looks to be the last couple of days of the forecast. Friday the 28th has a 7ft SSW groundswell with 16-second period, and the wind is only a gentle 9 mph cross-on from the SE. The energy is 2402, which is solid. For the first time in a while, the wind is light enough that the surface might clean up a bit. Saturday the 29th afternoon has a really interesting shift: a 3ft swell from the SW with a massive 21-second period and 1685 energy. That’s a very long period, which is a quality sign for this kind of reef set-up, but the wind is still cross-on. Then Sunday the 30th piles on again with 7ft from the SSW at 18 seconds and a whopping 3152 energy. Again, the wind is the big question mark.

If I had to pick a single best bet, it would be the morning of Friday the 28th. The swell is a solid 7ft from the SSW, the period is a long 16 seconds for that proper groundswell drive, and the wind is the lightest cross-on we’ve seen in a while. The energy is moderate-to-strong (2402). It’s still not ideal with the cross-onshore, but it’s the best compromise of size, power, and cleanness in the entire outlook. For the rest, it’s a long wait.

Rusty.

Read more