Tandjung-Lefts Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m lookin’ straight at the next 16 days for the region. The only spot on the map that’s worth talkin’ about is Tandjung-Lefts, a reef setup that needs a solid south swell and some cooperation from the wind. And honestly, for the first week and a half, it’s a bit of a struggle. The pattern is dominated by a consistent, moderate cross-onshore breeze that’s keepin’ the surface choppy and messy, even when there’s some decent swell energy in the water. The water’s sittin’ at about 80°, which is pretty average for this time of year, so nothin’ to write home about there.

We start on Monday the 31st of August, and it’s not great. We’ve got some swell comin’ in at 4 ft from the SSW, with a very long period of 18 seconds. That’s proper groundswell, a lot of energy in the water (combined energy of 1225), but that cross-on wind from the ESE at 12 mph just kills it. The comments say "poor surf," and I gotta agree – it’s choppy and hard to get a clean ride. This vibe carries right through the first week. Tuesday the 1st of September sees a bit more size, 6 ft, but wind picks up to 16 mph and it’s still cross-on. The energy jumps up (2013), but the surface is a mess. For beginners, the swell is already over 5 ft, so it’s gettin’ a bit much, let alone the chop. Wednesday the 2nd is more of the same. There’s a real gap here of just poor to marginal conditions every day. The swell stays between 4 ft and 6 ft, period drops a bit, but that wind never lets up. Even when the energy is strong, like Thursday the 3rd morning at 5 ft with 1004 energy, it’s still a write-off.

Saturday the 5th of September has a bit of a silver lining. The morning swell picks up to 6 ft, still cross-on, but the afternoon sees wind drop to 9 mph from the SSE. It’s still cross-on, but a lighter breeze. The comments only call it "marginal," but the energy’s decent at 1783. Still, it’s not a standout. Sunday the 6th is similar, with a bit more size and energy (2456 in the afternoon) but the same story with the wind. Then we hit Monday the 7th of September, and things slowly start to change. The swell is solid at 7 ft in the morning, period down to 14 seconds, but on Monday afternoon the wind eases again. Still not clean enough.

The real light at the end of the tunnel shows up on Tuesday the 8th of September. The wind finally drops to a light breeze from the SSE at 6 mph, goin’ cross-on in the morning and even cross-shore in the afternoon. The swell sits at 7 ft to 7 ft. The energy is pumpin' hard (1953 in the morning, 2624 in the afternoon). For the first time, the conditions are described as light cross-onshore with only small ripples. This is a proper step up, but that swell size (over 7 ft) is edging into expert territory for Tandjung-Lefts – it’s a reef, so it’ll be powerful.

But the true standout, the best on offer, is Wednesday the 9th of September. Wednesday morning is the jackpot. The wind shifts to a light offshore from the SSW at 6 mph, which is perfect for this spot. The swell is a solid 7 ft from the SSW, with a long period of 16 seconds. The combined energy is huge at 3821. The report says "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers." That’s the one. The wind is clean, the energy is massive, and it’s a proper groundswell. Just be aware, at 7 ft, this is strictly for the crew who know what they’re doing out on a reef. It’s still a little early to lock this in fully since it’s over a week away, but the signs are very, very promising. The Wednesday afternoon is still good but the wind turns cross-shore and adds a little chop.

After that, Thursday the 10th and Friday the 11th see the wind switch back to a moderate cross-onshore, so the quality drops back down to marginal. The swell holds around 7 ft to 8 ft, but that clean window passes. The 15th and 16th of September show another pulse of swell around 7 ft to 7 ft, but again, the wind is cross-on and the conditions are only rated as marginal. There’s no other standout in the second week.

So, for the whole 16-day block, Tandjung-Lefts is your only option, and you’re looking at a lot of choppy, onshore days. The one true highlight is Wednesday morning the 9th of September. If you can wait for that window, you’ll score a proper, powerful, clean SSW groundswell at 7 ft on a reef. It’s for experts only, but it’ll be worth the wait.

Rusty.

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