Tankers Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. The next couple of weeks are gonna have us all checking the forecast a little too often, hoping things line up. It’s a bit of a slow start, but there are some interesting pulses on the horizon.

We’re looking at a stretch that begins with small, clean but weak surf. The energy is there, but it’s just not put together. The water temp is sitting about average for this time of year, so a normal wetsuit is the call.

For the first few days, from Wednesday the 5th through the weekend, we’ve got a mix of small SSW swell in the 1ft to 2ft range. The periods are long, but the size just isn’t there to make anything at Tankers really stand up. Winds are cross-offshore from the E/ENE, which will keep the surface clean, but you’re mostly looking at knee-high dribblers. The combined energy is weak to moderate (132-552), and honestly, it’s one of those times where you might be better off doing something else.

The wave heights stay small, but the energy starts to build a bit from Monday the 10th into the middle of the week. We see a bump in the combined energy, hitting moderate to strong values (460-1052), but the swell direction shifts around and the period drops. There’s a window on the 12th and 13th where a S swell at 3ft to 4ft with an 18-second period shows up. This is the most interesting part of the first week. The cross-off winds will keep it clean, but the long period might make it break a bit straight at this reef. Still, this is probably the best chance for a few proper waves before the weekend.

Then, we hit a rocky patch. From the 15th to the 17th, the swell jumps up to 6ft to 6ft, but it’s short-period E windswell at 8 seconds. The wind is pumping from the ENE at 22 to 25 mph, and the combined energy is strong (695-804). This is a mess. For Tankers, this setup is going to be blown out and junky. Honestly, with that much wind and that short a period, it might be a better day to be on a kite than a paddleboard.

The last few days of the window show a brief dip back to small SW swell, and then on Tuesday the 18th, we see another pulse of 8ft, but again it’s that short-period E swell. That’s well overhead and only for the experienced crew, as it’s pushing into expert-only territory. The wind is still up, so expect it to be raw.

The real standout, the one to keep an eye on, is the very end of the forecast period. On Thursday the 20th of August, there’s a morning window with a SW swell at 3ft and a 18-second period. The wind drops right out to a light breeze, and the combined energy is strong (787). The forecast is calling for very good surf conditions. This is the one that’s got the potential to be clean, lined-up, and fun. It’s far out, so don’t book the day off work just yet, but it’s the one that’s got me excited.

So, the short version: the first half of the week is a write-off for anything decent. Midweek next week has a brief window of clean, medium-period S swell. The following weekend looks like a complete blowout. And the real gem is that Thursday the 20th, which we’ll have to watch closely.

Rusty.

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