Tankers Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s have a look at what’s on the table for this stretch. We’ve got Tankers on the calendar, a consistent little reef that loves a south swell. The water here is sitting around 82°, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing wild there. But let’s be real – the first few days are a bit of a write-off. Sunday the 13th and Monday the 14th are tiny and sloppy, with poor surf conditions and hardly any energy to speak of. You’re better off staying on the beach or doing a reef check from the rocks.

Tuesday the 15th is where things start to look up. Morning is the pick: clean conditions with light east winds, a nice 3ft groundswell out of the southwest at a long 20 seconds. The combined energy is pumping up to 624 (moderate), and the water is clean. This is the first real standout of the period – that long period will wrap nicely into the reef, giving you some proper shape and plenty of power between sets. It’s not huge, but it’ll be clean and fun for a confident surfer. Not too big for beginners, but the long lulls might mess with your rhythm if you’re not used to it.

The rest of that week stays small and marginal, with onshore-southeast breezes building. Wednesday through Friday see waist-high slop with a cross-off push, but the wind starts cranking over 15 mph, so it’s more work than reward. By Friday the 18th, the combined energy jumps to 996 (moderate) but the wind is up and the quality drops. Not really calling it good.

The following week, from the 20th onward, we start seeing a shift. Sunday the 20th has a brief pulse from the east at 6ft, but the period is short at 8 seconds – that’s windswell, lumpy and messy. Combined energy is still decent at 897 (moderate), but with the offshore wind struggling to keep order, it’s more of a kite day than a paddle day at this exposed beach-reef setup. By Wednesday the 23rd, we’ve got 5ft to 6ft from the east with period around 10-12 seconds, combined energy near 970 (moderate). The wind remains cross-off but strong, so it’s clean but challenging.

The best of that second week actually lands on Thursday the 24th morning: 6ft from the east, period around 9 seconds, combined energy 982 (moderate). It’s head-high, clean, and with the cross-off wind holding, you could find some fun ones at Tankers, especially if you don’t mind a bit of short-period push. Keep in mind, anything over 5ft is starting to get too much for beginners, and the east swell direction isn’t ideal for the reef’s optimum south direction, but it’ll still produce.

The very end of the run, from the 25th onward, fades fast. Wind cranks up to 25 mph by Friday the 25th, the swell drops, and the combined energy falls off a cliff. By the weekend, we’re back to weak, small, and choppy. If you’re looking at that last week, the Thursday the 24th morning is the only real standout – but like any long-range call, it’s promising, not locked in.

So, bottom line: Tuesday the 15th morning is your best bet early on – clean, long-period, solid waist-to-chest high swell. Then keep an eye on Thursday the 24th morning for a later pulse that could give you some head-high action if the winds play ball. The rest is mostly marginal or not worth the drive.

- Rusty

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