Tandjung-Lefts Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here, looking at the charts for Tandjung-Lefts over the next 16 days. I’ve got to be straight with you – it’s a tough outlook for this advanced reef. The window kicks off on Saturday the 12th of September, but don’t get too excited just yet.

We start with a consistent, fairly exposed left-hander that loves a south swell. The water’s sitting at a warm 80°F, which is bang on average for this time of year. The problem is the wind. We are locked into a persistent ESE to SE cross-onshore breeze that just doesn’t want to let up, leaving the surface chopped up. The first Saturday afternoon has waist-chest high 4ft swell, but with 9 mph cross-onshore wind, it’s just not clean. The combined energy is strong at 1148, but the poor wind kills the fun.

Sunday the 13th brings a bump in size to 6ft, with a long 18-second period from the SSW giving it real grunt (energy at 2119), but again that 12 mph cross-onshore wind makes it a choppy mess. Honestly, for the first full week, from September 12th through to the 21st, it’s a pretty bleak run. The swell hangs around waist to head-high, with strong energy, but it’s mostly marginal or poor conditions due to the wind. The best you can hope for is a “fairly choppy” session, which is a long way from the clean, peeling lefts this reef can offer.

Things are still looking onshore for the second week, but there’s a real standout that’s worth keeping an eye on. We get a pulse of bigger, powerful swell building in. On Saturday the 26th of September, the morning shows a solid 10ft SSW groundswell with a 17-second period. The combined energy is a massive 4494 – that’s strong, serious power. Now, 10ft on a reef is expert territory only, no doubt about it. The direction is good from the SSW, matching what the break wants. The wind is still ESE at 9 mph, which keeps it in the “fairly choppy” category, but with a light breeze, it’s the best we’re gonna get. The period is over 15 seconds, so it’ll be long, grinding lines, perfect for a reef like this, but the cross-onshore wind means it won't be glassy.

Because the wind just won’t swing offshore for this entire 16-day window, and the reef is getting hammered by a persistent cross-onshore, this setup looks way more interesting for kite surfing than for paddle surfing. You’ll be fighting the chop and the drift.

To sum it up: the only real shout for a surf is the bigger days around Saturday the 26th and Sunday the 27th of September, with the Saturday morning being the pick of the crop for experts who don’t mind some texture. It’s promising, but long-range and uncertain. The rest of the period? Pretty much a write-off for clean waves.

Rusty, signing off.

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