Tankers Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, grab a seat and listen up. Rusty here with the long-range look for Tankers. This is a reef setup that’s consistent and exposed to the south, but we’ve got a bit of a wait on our hands. The water’s sitting at 82°F, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year, not dramatically so but enough to feel nice without a steamer.

Straight up, the first week is pretty grim. There’s some swell around on Monday the 24th, but it’s a messy 4ft east swell at 7 seconds with a cross-shore wind making things lumpy. The combined energy is moderate at 367, but the call is poor surf. Not worth paddling out for. Tuesday the 25th kicks up a 5ft east swell early, still short period at 7 seconds, and while the wind is cleaner (cross-off), the surf quality is still poor. Later that day, a 2ft south-southwest groundswell shows up with a very long 16-second period, but it’s too small to do anything with. That pattern of small, long-period pulses continues through to the end of August. The swell is there on paper, with periods over 14 seconds, but the heights stay below 3ft mostly. The combined energy values bounce around between 260 and 652, but a lot of those are flagged as “marginal” or “poor.” The best looking window in the first week is Thursday morning the 27th: a 4ft south swell at 17 seconds, with a moderate cross-off breeze and a combined energy of 1110 (moderate to strong). It’s rated marginal though, not a standout, and the strong wind later in the day spoils any hope of a clean session.

The next big gap isn’t really a gap of no surf, but a gap of no *good* surf. From the 29th of August through to the 4th of September, it’s a constant run of poor conditions. The swell remains small, the winds are fresh and cross-off, cleaning up the surface but the waves just don’t have the size. Spot checks: Saturday the 5th of September brings a 4ft east swell at 12 seconds, but it’s accompanied by heavy rain and a strong breeze at 28 mph, creating a lumpy, cross-shore mess. Not a chance. Sunday the 6th sees a 3ft south-southwest groundswell at 16 seconds, with moderate wind, but the call is only marginal. The combined energy is 993, nearly strong, but the wave shape isn’t there.

Finally, after all that, we get a glimpse of hope. On Monday the 7th of September, the morning session looks like it could be our only real highlight of the whole run. A 2ft south-southwest swell with a 14-second period, a gentle cross-off breeze, and the forecast says “expect good surf conditions” with a combined energy of only 339 (weak). It’s small, but with the right wind and tide, that reef could offer up some clean, lined-up runners. It’s the standout, but it’s a long way off and it’s a fickle one – keep the expectations in check.

The Bottom Line: The only true standout is Monday morning the 7th of September. Everything else before that is small, weak, or too windy. This is a long, quiet stretch where the forecast will need to change for anything to happen faster.

Rusty.

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