Tandjung-Lefts Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Mate, I’ve got to be straight with you – it’s a rough stretch for Tandjung-Lefts right now. For the next week and a half, the wind is locked in from the southeast, blowing cross-onshore, and the surf is just messy. From Tuesday 21 July through to the end of the month, every session is tagged as poor surf conditions. The swell is mostly around 3 ft to 5 ft from the SSW, with moderate energy (combined energy sitting between 547 and 1062), but that cross-onshore breeze is chopping it all up. The water temperature is 81°, about average for the time of year, so that’s not the problem. It’s the wind.

Wednesday 22 July to Friday 24 July offers nothing. Saturday 25 July morning sees a brief shift to onshore ESE wind at 16 mph, but the swell is still only 4 ft from the SSW, and the comment says poor surf conditions. That’s a no-go. Sunday 26 July morning brings a jump in size – 8 ft from the SE with a short period of 8 seconds – but the wind is onshore, and the combined energy hits 1675, which is strong. But that’s not good for paddle surfing; it’s more of a kite-surfing setup. The period is short, so it’s going to be lumpy and messy.

Monday 27 July is similar – 7 ft from the SE, short period, onshore wind, poor surf. Tuesday 28 July through Friday 31 July just keeps the same story: cross-onshore, moderate swell, poor conditions. The only glimmer is on the morning of Thursday 30 July, where the swell reaches 5 ft from the SSW, period 15 seconds, and the combined energy is 1529 – that’s strong. But the wind is still cross-onshore, and the comment is only “marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions.” Not worth paddling out.

Into August, it’s more of the same. Saturday 1 August and Sunday 2 August see the swell bump up to 7 ft to 7 ft from the SSW, with periods of 15 to 16 seconds, and combined energy climbing to 2216 – that’s very strong. But the wind is still cross-onshore at 12 mph, and the comments are still “marginal.” The wave quality just isn’t there. Monday 3 August to Wednesday 5 August keeps the swell around 5 ft to 7 ft, periods of 13 to 18 seconds, but again, cross-onshore wind and only marginal surf. The best of the bunch might be Wednesday 5 August afternoon, when the wind drops to 9 mph, still cross-onshore, with 7 ft from the SSW and a 16-second period – combined energy 1955. That’s the strongest, cleanest-looking window, but it’s still not clean surf. The wind is just never offshore.

So, what’s the best? Honestly, there’s no standout. The whole 16-day window is a write-off for quality surf. If you’re desperate, the mornings of Saturday 25 July and Sunday 26 July have the swell size and onshore wind, but that’s more of a kite-surfing day than a paddle session. The reef at Tandjung-Lefts needs clean conditions to work, and it’s just not getting them. This is a blank run – it happens here sometimes. The only hope is that forecasts can change, but right now, I’d say leave the board at home.

Rusty

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