Tandjung-Lefts Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what the next couple weeks are shaping up like for your local stretch.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – it’s a tough run. We’ve got a solid, persistent groundswell coming in from the SSW, with periods hanging around 14 to 16 seconds, so there’s plenty of energy out there. The combined swell energy numbers are big – we’re talking values like 1519, 1825, even 2019 on some of the stronger pulses – so there’s no shortage of power. But the wind is the problem. It’s locked in from the ESE to SE, blowing cross-on shore at 12 to 19 mph for almost the entire forecast. That’s going to put a chop on everything and kill the quality. The water temp is sitting at 82°F, which is pretty much normal for the time of year, so that’s one thing you won’t have to worry about.

There are no real standout sessions in this outlook. The first proper surf shows up Sunday July 5th, with Tandjung-Lefts seeing a 6 ft SSW swell, period 14 seconds. But with that 9 mph ESE cross-on breeze, it’s going to be choppy and a bit of a mess. The score reflects it – just marginal. That’s the best of a bad lot, and it’s honestly not great. The swell sticks around all week, but every single session from Sunday onward is marked as poor to marginal, with the wind never letting up. The waves themselves are there – 5 ft to 6 ft, with that long period – but the surface conditions are just too rough for a good paddle.

We hit a lull around July 12th and 13th where the swell drops to under 3 ft, with combined energy falling to 351 and 372 – proper weak. But then it picks up again mid-week, July 14th to 16th, with 5 ft to 6 ft SSW swell, periods 15 to 16 seconds. The energy climbs back into the 1700s, but again, the wind is cross-on, 16 mph. It’s the same story: plenty of push, but the surface is lumpy and choppy. Not a day you’d tell your mates to rush down for.

For any surfer here, this is a frustrating pattern. The long-period SSW groundswell would normally be a dream for this reef setup – 14 to 19 second intervals are classic groundswell, and that usually means better shaped waves with longer lulls between sets. But without clean offshore or even light glassy winds, it’s wasted potential. The break is fairly exposed and gets the swell, but the wind is just relentless. If you’re a kite surfer, this consistent cross-on breeze and decent wave height might actually look fun, but for a paddle surfer, it’s one to skip.

The worst stretch is probably July 7th and 9th, when the wind hits 19 mph and the report says “fresh cross-onshore and lumpy” – that’s about as unfriendly as it gets. Crowds at Tandjung-Lefts are listed as “sometimes,” so on the rare chance you do go, you might not have to fight for waves, but you’ll be fighting the wind instead. This spot is an advanced reef break, and it’s consistent, which usually means it handles swell well, but without good wind, even a consistent break can feel like a punishment.

By the second week, July 13th onward, the pattern stays the same. The swell keeps rolling in – 4 ft to 6 ft, with periods occasionally hitting 19 seconds on July 13th afternoon – but the wind direction and strength barely shifts. The combined energy numbers are still solid, like 1739 on July 14th morning, but the surf quality stays poor. There’s no magic day where the wind finally swings offshore. It’s just a straight run of cross-on wind and chop.

If you’re holding out for something clean, you’re going to be waiting a while. This is one of those periods where the ocean has all the ingredients for greatness – size, direction, period – but the wind is the spoiler. For the locals, you know the drill: sometimes you just have to wait for a change in the breeze. Until then, the surf is there, but it’s fighting you every stroke of the paddle.

Stay patient, keep an eye on the wind shifts, and don’t force it.

Rusty.

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