Tandjung-Lefts Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s coming our way for the next couple of weeks. We’ve got a long run of days ahead, and I gotta be straight with you—it’s not going to be a classic stretch. The wind is the main villain here, blowing cross-onshore almost every session, which is going to mess with the face of the waves. But there is swell on the table, so we just have to pick the moments where it’s least ugly.

The first real surf we can talk about starts Saturday, September 12th at Tandjung-Lefts. This is an advanced reef break, consistent, and it’s fairly exposed to the S swell. Water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing unusual there. Saturday morning we get a 4ft SSW swell with a 14-second period, and the combined energy is a hefty 1370—moderate to strong energy. Problem is the wind is SE at 12 mph, cross-on, making it choppy. It’s surfable if you’re an experienced local, but don’t expect it to be pretty. The afternoon is worse, with the same onshore wind making conditions poor. Sunday the 13th bumps up to 6ft in the morning and 6ft in the afternoon, still cross-on SE wind at 12 mph. That bigger swell is over 5ft, so beginners should sit this one out. The period hits 18 seconds in the morning—that’s a proper long-period groundswell—which can make it break a bit straight at a reef, but it’ll have power and long waits between sets.

The pattern stays pretty locked in through the middle of the week. Monday the 14th through Wednesday the 16th, we’re looking at 5ft to 6ft swell, all cross-on wind, mostly poor conditions. The wave energy stays moderate to strong, but the wind keeps it messy. Not a single standout in this stretch. Thursday the 17th and Friday the 18th are similar, though Friday sees the wind drop a notch to 9 mph, making it only “fairly choppy” rather than full-on messy. Still, it’s marginal.

Now, the weekend of the 19th and 20th shows a glimmer. Saturday the 19th has 4ft swell, but Sunday the 20th is where we see a real shift. Sunday morning brings 4ft, but the afternoon jumps to 6ft with a 16-second period, and the combined energy is a strong 1691. Wind is still cross-on from the ESE at 9 mph, but it’s a gentle breeze, so the chop is less of a factor. This is one of the better windows—decent size, good period, and the wind is as light as we’ll get it. The break is consistent, but remember it’s a reef for advanced surfers, and crowds are possible here at times.

Moving into the final week, Monday the 21st keeps 6ft swell, still cross-on but manageable. Tuesday the 22nd drops a bit. Then Wednesday the 23rd and Thursday the 24th see a real pulse of swell: 7ft to 7ft with 16-17 second periods. Energy numbers jump to 2666 and 2076—very strong energy. That’s big, and over 8ft it’s expert-only territory. But again, the wind stays cross-on, so it’s not clean. Still, for a strong paddler on a big day, there’s raw power. The standout of the whole run is probably Sunday the 20th afternoon and then maybe Saturday the 26th, when we get 8ft with an 18-second period and energy at 3538. That’s the biggest, most powerful swell of the period, but it’s still cross-on. If you can handle a bit of chop, that’s the one to circle on the calendar. It’s far out, so keep an eye on it.

Overall, it’s a period of persistent onshore wind, so don’t expect perfection. But there is swell, and if you pick the lighter wind days, you’ll find something to ride.

Rusty.

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