Tandjung-Lefts Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a long, hard look at what’s coming down the pipe for this little corner of the lineup.

Right off the bat, there’s a solid run of swell heading our way, but don’t go getting too excited just yet. The bugbear for this entire forecast period is a persistent cross-onshore wind that will keep things mostly choppy and bumpy. It’s a real shame because the swell itself has some serious grunt, with big, long-period groundswell rolling in.

We’re talking about Tandjung-Lefts, a shifting reef break that demands respect – this one’s for the advanced crew only. It's consistent, which is good, but there’s a crowd factor, so expect to share the peak.

The action starts now, on Monday the 10th. We’ve got a clean 6ft swell building through the day, but the 9 mph SE wind keeps it cross-on and fairly choppy. The water temp is sitting at a normal 80° for the season, nothing to write home about.

By Monday afternoon and all through Tuesday the 11th, the swell pumps up to a meaty 10ft. This is a proper, powerful groundswell with periods of 18 to 16 seconds. The energy readings are massive – between 4447 and 5773 – so you can feel the ocean working. But that wind is still blowing cross-on at 9 mph, so the face will be bumpy. For experts only, and be ready for a fight on the paddle out. That long period will make for some long lulls between the sets, but man, the waves will have shape and power.

The wind actually picks up through Wednesday and Thursday, hitting 12 mph, making it even choppier. Swell holds in the 7ft to 8ft range, still packing solid energy. The quality takes a hit as the surface gets torn up.

We get a slight break in the wind on Sunday the 16th, with a lighter 6 mph breeze from the SE. The swell drops to a more manageable 6ft to 7ft. It’s still cross-on, but the lighter breeze will make the surface a little cleaner. This is probably your window for the most rideable waves of the week, even if it’s not perfect.

After that, things get trickier. From Monday the 17th onward, the swell drops and the wind stays stubbornly cross-on. The forecasts start calling the conditions “poor” regularly. The energy drops into the hundreds, showing the ocean is losing its juice.

There is one last gasp of some decent energy around Sunday the 23rd and Monday the 24th, with the swell picking back up to 7-8ft and some longer period again. The wind looks a little lighter on Monday the 24th morning, with just 6 mph from the SSE. It’s still cross-on, but a light breeze is what we can hope for at that range. Keep an eye on that one, but it’s far out.

The standout pick? It has to be Tuesday the 11th. You get the biggest, most powerful swell of the run (10ft, long period SSW groundswell). The wind is the same as other days, but the sheer volume of swell energy – over 4700 on the morning – is just too much to ignore. It’s a raw, heavy, expert-only day. Just be prepared for the wind to chop up what would otherwise be a world-class day.

Sunday the 16th is your second option. The swell is smaller and cleaner, making for a far more user-friendly session for the advanced surfer who wants a slightly less heavy fight.

Bottom line: It’s not a clean, glassy run by any stretch. The wind is the villain here. But if you’re an expert with a taste for powerful, lumpy groundswell, you’ll find some deep, heavy pits in the first week.

Rusty.

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