Tandjung-Lefts Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards.

Alright, the long-range look for Tandjung-Lefts is a tale of persistent, solid swell but with a frustrating cross-on breeze that just won’t quit. The ocean’s got plenty of energy, make no mistake, with the combined swell energy sitting at a thumping 4447 early on. The water’s a warm 80°, pretty much spot on for this time of year. The problem is, the wind’s almost always coming from the SE or ESE, putting a cross-on chop on the face pretty much every session. It’s not going to be that clean, glassy perfection we all dream of.

The run starts on Tuesday, August 11th. We’ve got a solid 10ft SSW groundswell rolling in with a long 16-second period. That’s proper deep-ocean energy, great for a reef like this, but with that 12 mph cross-on breeze, it’s going to be a bit of a wrestle and choppy. The afternoon eases off a touch to 9 mph winds, but it’s still cross-on. The next few days follow the same pattern: big swell, cross-on wind. Thursday the 13th sees the swell bump to 8ft from the S with a 17-second period – that’s a very long period, meaning the waves will have tonnes of push but the sets will be more spaced out. With the winds still onshore, it’s going to be a challenging, bumpy ride. The combined swell energy on Thursday afternoon is 3649, which is strong.

Friday the 14th and Saturday the 15th keep the 7ft to 7ft SSW swell going, but the wind stays cross-on. It’s rideable, but you’ll be fighting the chop. By Sunday the 16th, there’s a morning where the wind shifts to a direct onshore from the ESE at 12 mph – that’s the worst of it, making things a real mess before it swings back to cross-on in the afternoon.

We hit a bit of a lull around Monday the 17th, with the swell dropping to 5ft and the energy falling to 984. The quality’s poor. There’s a slight pick-up again on Tuesday the 18th, but honestly, the story is the same: consistent cross-on wind. This pattern holds right through until the 26th of August. The best window by a nose looks like Saturday, August 22nd. The morning has a light breeze at 6 mph, so while it’s still cross-on, it’ll be the cleanest surface we see all forecast. The swell is a decent 7ft from the SSW with a solid 16-second period, giving it some real grunt. The combined energy is 2480 (moderate to strong). For a reef break like this, that’s a big wave. At 7ft, it’s pushing into the expert-only zone, especially with the power from that long period. It’s the standout session, but you’ll still have the crowds, as it’s a spot that can get packed.

Beyond that, the swell hangs in, but the wind never fully cooperates. This setup is more appealing to the kite crowd than the pure paddle surfer, given the persistent cross-onshore wind. We end the period on Wednesday the 26th with the swell down to 4ft, but a very long 18-second period, which might wrap in a little cleaner on the reef, but the energy is low.

So, the best of a noisy bunch is Saturday morning, August 22nd. It’s not perfect, but it’s the cleanest we’ll get. For the rest, bring your grunt and your patience.

Rusty.

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