Tandjung-Lefts Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – this forecast for Tandjung-Lefts is a bit of a grind. We’ve got swell running through the whole 16 days, but it’s never really dialled in. The wind is a persistent issue. We’re looking at this advanced reef break, and the water temp is sitting at 80°F, which is pretty much bang on normal for this time of year.

The first real surf to talk about kicks off on Friday the 4th of September. We’ve got a 3.3 ft SW swell rolling in with a 14-second period, giving us moderate wave energy (721). The wind is a cross-onshore from the SE at 9 mph, which is making things a bit choppy and messy. It’s honestly a poor session, so I’d wait.

Saturday the 5th sees a bump up in size. The morning brings 5.9 ft SSW swell with a very long 16-second period, and the combined energy jumps to 1591. That’s a lot of power for a reef break, but the wind is still cross-onshore from the SE at 9 mph. The afternoon pushes that swell to 6.6 ft with the same long period, and the energy hits 1842. The problem? The conditions are described as marginal, and that cross-onshore wind is just wrecking the surface.

Sunday the 6th is more of the same. The morning has 6.6 ft SSW swell at 14 seconds, energy at 1808, but the wind picks up to 12 mph from the SE. It’s a moderate cross-onshore breeze now, making it properly choppy. The afternoon drops to 4.9 ft but the period stretches back to 16 seconds, with energy at 1836. Still, the wind is just cross-on.

The week from Monday the 7th through to Thursday the 10th is a saga of consistent swell but frustrating wind. Swell sizes range from 5.2 ft to 7.5 ft, all from the SSW, with periods between 13 and 18 seconds. The combined energy is strong, sitting between 1195 and 2947. For a spot like this, that’s a lot of water moving. The wind does ease into a cross-shore direction on the Tuesday (8th) and Wednesday (9th) mornings, which is a slight improvement – it’s less choppy, just a bit of cross-chop. But the surf quality is still only rated as marginal. The crowd factor is “sometimes,” so you might get a few others out there, but with conditions this average, I doubt it’ll be packed.

For the rest of the period, from Friday the 11th right through to Saturday the 19th of September, the trend holds. Swell is still pumping in from the SSW, mostly 4.9 ft to 7.5 ft, with periods of 14 to 18 seconds. The combined energy stays strong (1236 to 3022). The wind, however, is stubbornly cross-onshore from the SE or SSE, usually at 9 mph, but sometimes 12 mph. It’s a constant battle for clean faces.

There is no standout period here. The best you can hope for is the Tuesday 8th and Wednesday 9th when the wind goes cross-shore, giving a slight reprieve from the chop. But even then, it’s marginal. The swell is there, the energy is high, but the wind is just not playing ball. For an advanced reef break, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, given the persistent cross-onshore wind and powerful swell.

Honestly, this is a blank run for quality surf. The forecasts can change, but for now, I’d give it a miss.

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