Tankers Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

We’re looking at Tankers, a reef break that’s exposed to the south swell. Right now, the water temp is about average for this time of year, so nothing wild there. The 16-day window starts with a bit of a slow run, but there’s a glimmer of hope at the very end.

For the first week, it’s pretty flat. The swell is small, mostly around 1 ft to 2 ft, and the wind is a persistent cross-off from the east-northeast, which keeps things clean but the energy is just not there. The combined wave energy is weak, in the 100 to 200 range, so you’re looking at marginal surf at best. Friday the 7th and Saturday the 8th have tiny, long-period SW swells (20–21 seconds) – that’s a deep groundswell, but so small it’s barely a ripple. Sunday the 9th morning has a pulse of 4 ft swell from the east, but the period is a short 7 seconds, so it’ll be crumbly and weak. The energy jumps to 509, but the quality is still poor. Honestly, the whole first week is a write-off for quality waves. The breeze is often moderate to fresh, so it’s not even glassy.

Then we hit a stretch from Monday 10th to Thursday 20th where the energy climbs a bit, but the surf quality stays poor. Swells hit 3 ft to 4 ft from the south with periods around 15–18 seconds, giving moderate energy (800–1000 range), but the east-northeast wind is cranking at 15 to 25 mph. It’s cross-off, but that much wind makes it lumpy and hard to read. The best I can say is it’s clean, but not clean enough for good waves. Kite surfers might be interested, but for paddle surfing, it’s a no-go.

The real standout window comes at the very end of the forecast. On Thursday 20th August afternoon, we get a glassy moment with a light north-northwest wind. The swell is only 2 ft, but the period is a very long 21 seconds from the southwest. That’s groundswell, and at a reef, that long period will wrap in nicely. The energy is 448 – moderate – and the conditions are “glassy.” That’s the best you’ll see. Then Friday 21st August afternoon is the absolute highlight: calm wind, glassy again, with a 2 ft SW swell at 18 seconds. The energy is 562 (moderate), and the forecast says “expect very good surf conditions.” That’s the one to circle on the calendar. The 22nd Saturday morning has a 3 ft SW swell at 17 seconds, but with a light east-southeast cross-shore, it’s still good but not as perfect as the day before.

The bottom line: the first two weeks are a bust. The last few days of August offer a couple of clean, glassy sessions with small but long-period groundswell. It’s not massive, but for a reef break, the shape and clean conditions will make it worth the paddle. The crowd at Tankers can be often busy, so expect company on those standout days.

Rusty.

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