Tandjung-Lefts Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Oi, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for the Tandjung-Lefts region.

Alright, straight up, the next week and a half is a bit of a write-off for a decent paddle. We're looking at a long stretch of poor surf conditions, with a lot of cross-onshore wind messing things up. The only real glimmer of something surfable doesn't show up until the start of August, and even then it's marginal.

Let's break it down. We kick off on Saturday the 25th of July with a clean 4ft SSW swell, but it's coming with a 15 mph cross-onshore ESE wind, creating a choppy mess. The combined energy is weak (936). The water temp is a balmy 80°, which is about what you'd expect for this time of year. This pattern sticks around for days: a mix of moderate to fresh cross-onshore winds, with the swell bouncing between 3ft and 8ft, but the wind never lets up. The energy levels fluctuate, hitting a moderate 2005 on the 26th with an 8ft SE windswell, but it's lumpy and ugly. This is a reef break, Tandjung-Lefts, for advanced surfers only when it's on, but with this constant cross-onshore wind, it's not going to be any fun. It's a consistent break, but you'll be battling the wind the whole time.

The wind does ease a touch on the 1st of August, dropping to a 9 mph gentle breeze from the ESE, but it's still cross-onshore. The swell picks up to 6ft from the SSW with a very long 18-second period, giving a strong energy reading of 1965. The forecast calls it marginal, and that's about right. The sets will be long and clean, but the wind is still a factor. The next day, the 2nd of August, we see the wind go *on* for the afternoon, which is better, but the forecast is still only marginal. The swell holds at 6ft from the SSW, with a very long 17-second period and a strong energy of 2317. This is where our best bet lies. The 3rd of August is similar, with the wind going *on* in the afternoon, a 6ft SSW groundswell, and good energy (1430). For a brief window, it could be alright.

So, the standout is the period from the 1st to the 4th of August. The 2nd of August afternoon looks the best of a rough bunch – a 6ft SSW groundswell (optimum direction is S) with a very long period, clean wind, and strong energy. It's a reef break, which is perfect for a long-period groundswell like this, but it's an advanced spot, so don't even think about it if you're not skilled. The poor conditions before that make it a tough call, but it's the only window worth paddling out for.

There's a gap of several days of poor surf before that, and then after the 4th, it's back to poor conditions with strong cross-onshore winds, though the swell gets bigger again, reaching 8ft on the 7th and 8th of August. That's expert territory, but with the wind still messy, it's hard to get excited about it.

Stay tuned, forecasts can change, but for now, keep your eyes on that first week of August.

Rusty.

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