Tandjung-Lefts Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's talk about what's coming up. We've got a long stretch ahead, and honestly, it's a bit of a mixed bag. The main event is Tandjung-Lefts, a reef break that's consistent and handles a south swell well. The water temp is sitting at 79°, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing weird there.

We're looking at a run of surf that starts now and goes for a while, but it's not going to be clean. The wind is mostly cross-onshore from the ESE and SE, which is going to mess up the surface. For the first week, from Tuesday the 18th through to Monday the 24th, we've got a solid swell in the water, around 4ft to 8ft, all from the SSW with a decent period of 15 to 18 seconds. That's a long-period groundswell, which means good energy, but it's going to be choppy and bumpy because of the wind. The wave energy is strong, reading between 1500 and 3500, but the conditions are just not letting it shine. It's a real shame because the swell has some punch. The bigger days, like the 19th and 20th, with 7ft to 8ft, might be a bit too much for beginners, but the wind is the real killer here. For the experienced guys, it'll be a battle.

Then we hit a lull. From Tuesday the 25th through to Thursday the 27th, the swell drops off and the conditions turn poor. We're looking at 3ft to 5ft and the wave energy drops into the hundreds. It's not really worth paddling out for those days.

Things start to pick back up on Friday the 28th. The swell builds again to 5ft to 5ft from the SSW, with the wind easing a bit to a gentle breeze, but it's still cross-onshore. The wave energy is back into the four digits, but it's still on the choppy side.

Now, if you're looking for a standout, the best bet is shaping up for Sunday the 30th of August. The morning session looks like the pick of the whole run. We've got a solid 6ft SSW swell with a very long 18-second period, and the wind swings around to the south at just 6 mph, going cross-shore. That's going to be much cleaner than anything else we've seen, with just light cross-shore ripples. The wave energy is strong at 2633, so there's plenty of push. This is the one to circle on your calendar. The afternoon goes a bit onshore again, so make the most of the morning. Tandjung-Lefts is a reef, and with that long period, it should handle it nicely, but be aware crowds are possible here sometimes.

After that, we get into the first few days of September. Monday the 31st and Tuesday the 1st bring back the 7ft to 8ft swell, but with that same old cross-onshore wind. The energy is massive, well over 3000 on the 1st, but it'll be messy again. Wednesday the 2nd pushes up to 8ft, which is expert territory, but the wind is still cross-onshore and the conditions are rated as poor. It's a lot of swell, but not much quality.

Alright, that's the long-range picture. A few promising moments, but mostly a waiting game for that clean Sunday morning window. Keep an eye on it.

- Rusty

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