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 tough one to get excited about. We’ve got a solid run of south-southwest groundswell pushing in, but the wind just won’t play ball for most of the period, keeping the surface messy. The real kicker is that despite some decent sized swell, the conditions are mostly marginal, and the ratings reflect that. It’s one of those periods where you’ll be watching more than you’re riding.

We start things off on Monday the 7th of September with a 7 ft SSW swell, but it’s coming with a 12 mph cross-on southeasterly breeze, making for a choppy, lumpy morning. That drops to 6 ft in the afternoon, but the wind is still cross-on at 9 mph. Not great. The wave energy is strong, reading 1804 and 1514, but it’s all for nothing with that wind.

Tuesday the 8th is more of the same—7 ft SSW in the morning with 12 mph cross-on wind, and the afternoon sees 6 ft with a very long period of 18 seconds and energy hitting 3049. That’s a lot of power, but the wind is still cross-on, so the surface is blown out. A real shame.

Wednesday the 9th is the closest we get to a standout in this whole outlook. Morning has 8 ft SSW swell, period of 16 seconds, and the wind drops to 9 mph and goes cross-shore. Still a bit of chop, but it’s the best we’ll see. The energy is strong at 2903. This is the pick of the week, but even then, it’s only a marginal call. For a reef break that needs clean conditions, it’s frustrating. The afternoon goes back to cross-on, ruining the session.

From Thursday the 10th through to Monday the 14th, it’s a rinse and repeat of 5 ft to 7 ft SSW swell, but always with that cross-on wind. The energy stays moderate to strong, but the wind keeps everything choppy and uninviting. Crowds are sometimes an issue here, but honestly, with conditions like this, you won’t be fighting for waves.

Then we hit a real rough patch from Tuesday the 15th through to Monday the 21st. Swell drops to 4 ft to 5 ft, winds hold at 9–12 mph cross-on, and the energy drops into the moderate range, as low as 955. The surf quality is poor, and the scores are at zero. A full week of nothing worth paddling out for. That’s a big gap.

The last day on the cards, Tuesday the 22nd of September, shows a pulse of 6 ft SSW swell with a very long period of 19 seconds and energy of 2793. That’s promising, but once again the wind is 12 mph cross-on and choppy. Another tease.

Water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing out of the ordinary there. This reef at Tandjung-Lefts (Indonesia) is consistent and fairly exposed to the swell, but it’s an advanced wave, and it needs clean conditions to shine. We just don’t get that here. If you’re a kitesurfer, the setup might be worth a look on the windier days, but for paddle surfing, it’s a tough run.

Rusty.

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