Tandjung-Lefts Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here.

Alright mate, let’s have a look at what’s cooking. Honestly? For a place that’s usually pretty exposed, the next couple of weeks at Tandjung-Lefts are looking a bit of a bummer. There’s a solid run of swell, no doubt, but the wind just won’t play ball.

We’re kicking off this Thursday afternoon, 10 September, with a clean 80° water temp—right on the money for this time of year. But the wind is a cross-onshore mess. The swell is a solid 7 ft from the SSW with a very long 16-second period, packing moderate energy (2032). That’s proper groundswell, and for a reef break like this, the long period usually means nice, grinding lefts. But with that cross-on breeze, it’s going to be a choppy, bumpy mess. Not worth a paddle.

The whole first week is basically the same story. Friday the 11th through to the following Wednesday the 16th: consistent 4 ft to 6 ft SSW swell, long periods between 14 and 18 seconds, but it’s cross-on or onshore every session. The wave energy sits between moderate and strong (1134 to 2103), which would be amazing with offshore wind, but we just don’t have it. The conditions are either “fairly choppy” or outright “poor.”

From Thursday the 17th into the weekend of the 20th, the swell backs off a touch—3 ft to 6 ft—but the wind stays stubbornly cross-on. There’s a glimmer on Saturday the 19th afternoon with a light cross-shore breeze and 4 ft swell, but the period drops to 13 seconds and the energy is weak (833). It’s the best-looking window in the first 10 days, but that’s not saying much.

Now, if you’re willing to wait, there’s a glimmer of hope in the second week. The standout is on Wednesday the 23rd September. Morning session has a 6 ft SSW swell with a 17-second period—that’s a long-period groundswell—and the combined energy jumps to 2310 (strong). The wind is still cross-on, but it’s only 9 mph so it might just be rideable. The afternoon builds to 7 ft with 16-second period. It’s still marginal, so don’t get your hopes up too high, but it’s the biggest, most energetic window we’ve got.

The best bet of the whole 16 days, though, is Friday the 25th September. We’ve got a 8 ft SSW swell rolling in with a 16-second period and a massive combined energy of 2821 (very strong). That’s a serious amount of water moving. Now, 8 ft on a reef break is for advanced surfers only—beginners stay well away. But the real killer is the wind is still cross-on at 9 mph. It’s a shame. If that wind went offshore, this would be an absolute classic. As it is, it’s the most powerful swell of the forecast, but you’ll be fighting a bumpy face.

Because the wind never turns proper offshore for this entire forecast, I’d say Tandjung-Lefts is going to be a frustrating spot to paddle. The setup actually looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing given the constant cross-on breeze and decent swell size. There are no other breaks in the data to recommend, so we’re stuck with what we’ve got.

Crowds at this spot are only “sometimes,” and it’s a consistent reef, so if you do brave the chop mid-week you might have it to yourself. But don’t expect perfection.

Keep an eye on that Friday the 25th—it could be a beast if the wind eases a touch, but it’s a long-range call so take it with a grain of salt.

Rusty.

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