Tankers Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for our little stretch of coast over the next couple of weeks. It’s gonna be a real mixed bag, with some quiet bits and then a big pulse of energy later on, though the winds are gonna be the main talking point.

Honestly, the outlook kicks off pretty flat. From now through the rest of this week and into the early part of the next, there’s just not much to get excited about. We’ve got a few days of small, weak swell – think around 1 ft to 3 ft – with moderate to fresh cross-offshore winds. The water temp is sitting at a pretty average 81°F, nothing unusual there. The energy levels are so-so, with values like 479 and 330 (moderate). It’s clean, sure, but really marginal for a decent paddle. This stretch runs right through the end of the week and into the weekend.

Now, a little glimmer appears on Thursday the 20th. That afternoon, the wind drops right out to glassy (5 km/h from the SW), and we get a nice little 2 ft groundswell pushing in from the SW at 17 to 18 seconds. The energy pushes up to 413 (moderate). It’s not big, but that long-period, glassy combo at Tankers will make for some clean, peelable lines. This is the pick of the first week for sure – a sweet, small-wave session.

After that, the wind picks right up again. From Friday the 21st through to Monday the 24th, we’ve got a mix of cross-shore and stronger cross-offshore winds, mostly from the ENE at 15 to 22 mph. The swell stays on the small side, 2 ft to 5 ft, but the wind is just too strong for it to be any fun. This is a proper lull.

Then, things get interesting for the second week. Starting around Wednesday the 26th of August, the swell really starts to build. It’s an E’ly swell, short period at 8 seconds, but it gets big. By Thursday the 27th, we’re seeing 8 ft at 8 seconds, and the energy skyrockets into the 1200s (strong). By Friday the 28th, it peaks at 10 ft from the east at 9 seconds, with energy over 1500 (very strong).

This is a big problem though. That 10 ft E swell is going to be a heavy, powerful closeout at a beach break, and it’s a real expert-only situation (over 8 ft). The wind stays cross-off from the ENE at 15-19 mph, which is clean but strong. The setup looks like it’ll be more interesting for kite surfing than a relaxing paddle session. It’s powerful and raw, but not very user-friendly. The short period (8-9 seconds) means it’s all wind-swell energy with no real shape.

The energy finally backs off by the 30th of August, dropping back to 5 ft and 10-second period, with the wind easing a bit. After that, it fades quickly back into the small stuff.

To wrap it up: the standout moment is that glassy Thursday the 20th – a real hidden gem of a session. The big nasty pulse from the 26th to the 29th is for the brave and the well-equipped only. For the rest of the time, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

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