Tandjung-Lefts Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Hey folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it. We’ve got a long 16-day window staring at us, and honestly, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. The main event is this persistent SSW swell, but for the foreseeable future, the wind is a real buzzkill. We’re looking at a solid stretch of cross-onshore conditions that’ll keep things lumpy and choppy for days. The first real glimmer of something decent won’t show up until the start of August, and even then, it’s a game of patience.

The first half of the week is a write-off. Tuesday the 28th through Thursday the 31st of July, the swell is building from 3 ft to 5 ft, but with a cross-on ESE breeze at 15 to 18 mph, it’s just messy. The water temp is sitting at 81°, which is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there. The combined energy is moderate, hitting 699 to 1325, but the quality is poor. Not worth paddling out.

We start to see a shift on Friday the 31st of July. The swell holds at 4 ft from the SSW, with a long period of 17 seconds. The wind eases to a gentle breeze at 9 mph, but it’s still cross-on. The energy is strong (1295), and the afternoon session is called “marginal” – not great, but the first real chance to get wet. Saturday the 1st of August sees the swell push to 5 ft with a period of 18 seconds, and the combined energy hits 1612. Still cross-on, but the wind is light. It’s the best of a bad lot so far, but I’d call it a “maybe” session for the patient surfer.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Sunday the 2nd of August, the swell jumps to 6 ft, and we get a brief window of offshore wind in the morning. That’s the standout for the first week. The swell is 6 ft from the SSW, with a period of 17 seconds, and the energy is strong at 1979. The wind is onshore, but the description says “on” – which usually means offshore. If that holds, Tandjung-Lefts (reef break) could be cleaning up. It’s an advanced spot, so this is for the experienced crew. The swell is getting a bit stout for beginners, but for the right surfer, this Sunday morning is the pick of the early run.

The second week, we’re looking at a big spike. From the 6th of August, the swell starts getting serious. Thursday the 6th has 6 ft to 7 ft, Friday the 7th is 7 ft, and then the 8th and 9th of August see the swell top out at 10 ft. The period is long, 16 to 18 seconds, and the combined energy is massive – 2550 to 5569. This is strong to very strong wave energy. The wind, however, stays cross-on for most of it, which will trash the surface. The 9th of August (Sunday) is the biggest day, with 10 ft SSW swell and a 9 mph cross-on breeze. That’s expert-only territory, and even then, the chop will make it a battle. The 8th of August (Saturday) afternoon has a 8 ft swell with a 20-second period and energy at 5101 – that’s a very long period groundswell, which could work well at this reef, but the cross-on wind is a downer.

For the absolute best on offer, I’m looking at Sunday the 2nd of August morning for the offshore wind window, and the 8th of August afternoon for the raw power of the swell. Both are conditional. The 2nd is the cleaner option, the 8th is the bigger, more challenging one. Don’t expect perfection; it’s about making the most of what’s there.

Rusty out.

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