Tandjung-Lefts Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it.

First up, we’ve got a spell of nothing but frustration on the cards for Tandjung-Lefts. The next week and a half is looking pretty grim, to be honest. We’ve got consistent swell, but it’s coming in with a cross-onshore breeze that’s just chopping everything up. This is a reef break, so it’s not like a beach where you can find a bit of shelter; the wind is going to ruin it. The swell energy is there, but it’s moderate, in the 750 to 3500 range, and it’s just not translating into anything rideable with the wind blowing sideways. The water’s at 79°, which is pretty much average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Monday the 17th is a write-off. 4ft of SSW swell with a 14-second period, but the sea breeze is on it and it’s just poor. Tuesday and Wednesday look a touch bigger, pushing up to 6ft and then 7ft, but it’s the same story: cross-onshore, lumpy, and marginal. Thursday morning the wind drops a little, but we’re still looking at a cross-on breeze and 8ft swell. That’s getting up there, but the quality just isn’t there to match the size. This is a solid week of onshore slop, honestly. The swell is coming from the SSW, which is the right direction for this spot, but the wind is the killer.

Heading into the weekend of the 23rd and 24th, the swell backs off a bit but the wind stays cross-onshore. The energy drops, but the chop remains. It’s just frustrating to watch. We’re looking at a good ten-day gap here with nothing that I’d want to paddle out into.

Now, let’s look at the end of the month. The 31st of August is where things finally start to get interesting. We’ve got a proper groundswell arriving, with the period jumping to 21 seconds. That’s a long-period swell, and this is a reef break, so it should start to set up some nice lines. The swell height is 5ft in the morning, but the energy is a lot stronger, hitting 2878, and it’s building. The wind is still cross-on, but it’s only 15 km/h, so it’s not as messy. Then Monday afternoon it jumps to 7ft with a 20-second period and the energy just explodes to 4225. That’s a strong push of energy. The wind picks up a touch to 20 km/h, but the size and power should be enough to create some proper waves. This is the standout of the whole period. It’s not perfect, but it’s the best we’ve got. A long period like that on a reef can be a bit straight, but the power will be there.

Tuesday the 1st of September still has that solid 8ft swell, but the wind is up to 25 km/h in the morning, which is going to make it messy again. The energy is still strong, but the wind is going to be a problem.

So, the call is this: don’t hold your breath for the next ten days. It’s all about that Monday the 31st of August. That’s the one to circle. It’s a promise of something better, but it’s a week away, so treat it as a promising lead rather than a guarantee. The rest is just a whole lot of chop.

Stay salty.

Rusty

Read more