Tandjung-Lefts Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards. Tandjung-Lefts is the only spot showing any life in this window, and to be honest, it’s a bit of a mixed bag for the next week and a half. We’ve got a solid run of SSW groundswell, but the wind is mostly going to be a cross-onshore from the southeast, which is going to put a bit of chop on the face. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so nothing wild there.

First up, this Wednesday the 9th, we’ve got some size with 8ft of SSW swell pushing through, but the energy is moderate (2903) and that cross-on wind is making it fairly choppy. It’s not going to be pretty, but the period is a long 16 seconds, so there’s some push behind it. The quality is marginal at best, with the tide and conditions not really lining up.

Thursday the 10th sees the swell back off a touch, around 6ft to 7ft, but the wind strengthens to a moderate cross-onshore, which is going to knock it around more. The energy drops a bit too (1780 to 2032). This is really a day for the die-hards only; the lineup is going to be a bit of a washing machine.

Friday the 11th through to Sunday the 13th sees the swell ease back, from 6ft down to 4ft, and then building again to 6ft by Sunday. The wind stays cross-onshore, so the surface is never going to be glassy. The period stays long, between 14 and 18 seconds, which means the waves will have some shape but that cross-offshore direction is not ideal for this reef. The energy is in the moderate range (1134 to 2101), but the forecast quality is still poor to marginal. It’s just not doing much for me.

Monday the 14th and Tuesday the 15th are a bit of a dead zone—the swell is there, around 5ft, but the conditions are just poor. The wind is still cross-onshore, and the energy is dropping into the low 1200s. This is one of those patches where you’d be better off doing something else with your time.

Things start to look a little more interesting on Wednesday the 16th, with a bump in swell back to 6ft and the energy picking up to 1696. Still, it’s marginal, and that wind hasn’t let up. It’s not until Friday the 18th that we see a real shift—the wind swings to the south at a light 6 mph, giving us a cross-shore breeze for the morning. The swell drops to 5ft, but with that long 16-second period and light wind, it’s going to be the cleanest it’s been all week. Still, the combined energy is only 1077, so it’s not firing, but it could be the pick of a pretty ordinary bunch if you’re desperate.

Then we go quiet again over the weekend of the 19th and 20th. Swell drops to 4ft to 4ft on Saturday, and the energy falls off a cliff to 733. Sunday sees a bit more size at 5ft but the wind is back as a cross-onshore, making it sloppy again. Monday the 21st is poor, with moderate cross-onshore winds and energy down to 842.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting for the long range. Around Tuesday the 22nd, the swell really starts to build in a hurry. The morning is already at 7ft, and by the afternoon we are looking at 8ft with the energy jumping to 3596. The period is still long, 16 to 17 seconds. Then Wednesday the 23rd is where the standout is. We’ve got a solid 8ft in the morning, building to a proper 10ft by the afternoon, with a very long 18-second period and the energy climbing into the strong range (4588 to 5513). The wind is a gentle cross-onshore, which is not perfect, but with that much juice, it’s going to be a serious session. This is for experts only, that’s for sure. The following Thursday the 24th still has 8ft of swell with a 16-second period and energy at 3529, so it’ll still be big and powerful.

So, if you want my honest take, the next few days are pretty much a write-off. The only real standout is that pulse on the 23rd of September—that’s your window. It’s a long way off, so treat it as a promising idea, not a guarantee. But if that groundswell hits like it’s showing, Tandjung-Lefts is going to be a proper beast.

Rusty.

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