Tandjungs-Rights Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s talk about Tandjung-Rights. This is a reef break that’s super consistent and handles a fair bit of swell, but the whole 16-day window is a rough one for the paddle crew. The wind is almost always coming from the ESE or SE, and it’s mostly a cross-on breeze, which is the enemy of a clean face here. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so nothing weird there.

The first few days, from Saturday the 18th through to the end of the week, are a write-off. We’re looking at 3ft to 4ft of SSW swell, but it’s all cross-on and choppy. The energy is moderate, with combined swell energy readings between 491 and 824. The wind is a moderate breeze, 12 to 15 mph, and it’s just messy. No scores above a 0 or 1. Honestly, it’s not worth paddling out.

Monday the 20th sees a bump in size, up to 6ft to 7ft, with a long period of 16 to 17 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell, and combined energy jumps to 2034 and 2237. But the wind is still cross-on, 15 mph, and the surf is described as poor. That’s a lot of energy going to waste on a choppy sea. Still a 0 score.

The pattern continues through the week. Swell drops back to 3ft to 5ft, period stays in the 13 to 14 second range, and the wind just won’t let up. The water is messy. The only slight change is on Saturday the 25th morning, when the wind turns to “on” from the ESE at 15 mph, but it’s still a moderate breeze and the wave state is unknown. The swell is only 4ft with a 15-second period, so it’s a tiny window of something that might be clean, but the combined energy is 1094, which is moderate. It’s the best of a bad bunch, but that’s not saying much.

Sunday the 26th brings a different problem. The swell jumps to 7ft, but it’s from the SE with a short period of 8 seconds. That’s windswell, choppy, and lumpy. The wind is a fresh breeze at 18 mph. At 7ft, this is expert-only territory, and with the wind, it’s a mess. For kite surfers, this setup with strong wind and a short, bumpy sea might be more interesting than for paddle surfing.

The last week, from the 27th to the 2nd of August, is more of the same. Swell sticks around 5ft to 7ft, with periods from 15 to 21 seconds, which is very long. The combined energy is strong, hitting 2667 on the 2nd of August. But the wind is persistently cross-on or on, and the rating never gets above a 1. There’s a hint of offshore on the 27th and 28th mornings, but the swell is only 3ft to 5ft, and the wave state is unknown. The 28th afternoon gets a “marginal” score of 1, with a gentle cross-on and 5ft of 17-second swell. It’s the only real glimmer of a surfable wave in the whole run, but it’s still cross-on and fairly choppy.

So, the bottom line: there are no standout days. The best on offer is probably the 28th of July afternoon, with 5ft of long-period SSW swell and a gentle cross-on breeze, but it’s marginal. The long period, over 15 seconds, means it’s a groundswell that might connect up better at Tandjung-Rights being a reef, but the cross-on wind will still mess with the takeoff. The window from the 18th to the 25th is a complete blank. After that, we’re just hoping for a miracle shift in the wind. It’s a tough run for a spot that’s usually so consistent. Forecasts can change, but right now, it’s grim.

Rusty.

Read more