Tandjung-Lefts Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve got the lowdown on Tandjung-Lefts for the next couple of weeks. Let’s be straight with you—this stretch is looking pretty average for a while, with a persistent cross-onshore wind that’s gonna keep the surface messy. It’s a reef setup, so there’s potential, but the wind is the main story here.

The water temp is sitting at 80°F, which is about what you’d expect for this time of year, nothing unusual there.

We start off with the first real surf on Wednesday, 9th September. There’s a solid SSW groundswell running, 8ft at 16 seconds, packing strong energy (2903). But the wind is SE at 9 mph, coming straight across the face, making it fairly choppy. The rating is low, and it’s only for advanced surfers at this size. Conditions are marginal, so it’s not a day to get excited about.

Moving into Thursday, the swell drops a touch to 6ft to 7ft, period still hanging around 15–16 seconds, with moderate energy (up to 2030). Still cross-onshore, still choppy. Friday and Saturday are similar, with the swell easing a bit more, but the wind picks up to 12 mph on Friday afternoon, making it proper choppy. By Saturday afternoon, the swell is down to 4ft, and the wave comment says “poor surf conditions.” Not worth paddling out.

Sunday, 13th September, sees a pulse of longer-period swell, 6ft to 7ft at 17–18 seconds, with energy jumping back up (2078 to 2257). But the cross-onshore wind is still there at 12 mph, so it’s messy. The following week, from Monday 14th through to Tuesday 22nd, is a real grind. Swell heights bounce between 4ft and 7ft, but the wind never lets up, and most sessions are rated “poor” or “marginal.” There’s a long gap of days with no real quality—just a lot of cross-onshore chop.

Now, the first real standout comes late in the run. On Tuesday, 22nd September, the morning shows a small 4ft swell but with a very long period of 20 seconds, and combined energy is still strong (2213). That’s a proper groundswell, but at a reef like Tandjung-Lefts, that long period could make it a bit too straight—still, it’s a sign of things to come. The afternoon picks up to 5ft at 20 seconds, energy 2689.

The best of the whole forecast is on Wednesday, 23rd September. The afternoon session has 8ft SSW swell at 16 seconds, with a massive energy reading of 5012—that’s very strong. The wind is still cross-onshore at 9 mph, but it’s a gentle breeze, so it’s only fairly choppy, not a total write-off. This is the biggest energy of the whole period, and if you’re an experienced surfer, this is the one to aim for.

Then Thursday, 24th September, the swell pumps up to 10ft from the SSW at 17 seconds, with energy at 4862 and 4285. That’s expert-only territory—over 8ft and heavy. The morning has a lighter breeze (6 mph), so it’s a bit cleaner, but still cross-onshore. The afternoon sees the wind pick up again. This is big, powerful, and not for the faint-hearted.

Overall, if you’re after a standout, point your board at Wednesday 23rd afternoon for the biggest energy spike, or Thursday 24th morning for the biggest swell with the lightest wind. But keep in mind, the cross-onshore wind is a constant issue here—nothing is glassy. It’s all a bit “marginal” across the board, so don’t expect perfection.

Rusty.

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