Tankers Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here again. Let's talk about Tankers in feet, miles per hour, and Fahrenheit.

The next 16 days are going to test your patience. For a reef that’s usually consistent, we’re looking at a lot of junk with just one real clean window.

On Saturday the 1st of August, it’s a write-off. You got nearly 7ft swell from the East at 8 seconds, but a 25 mph cross-offshore wind is going to destroy the surface. The energy is moderate (979), but you can keep the board in the car.

Sunday the 2nd and Monday the 3rd are marginal. Swell drops from 6ft to just over 4ft, still East, but the cross-off wind doesn’t let up much. It’s surfable, but it's a struggle.

Tuesday the 4th of August is the day. Tuesday afternoon, the wind goes glassy – nothing out of the NNW. We get a clean 4ft wave from the East with a solid 11-second period. The wave comment says “expect good surf conditions.” The energy is still solid at 462. The reef at Tankers will be smooth. Crowds are common here, so if you see the parking lot full, you know why. Get it while it lasts.

From Wednesday the 5th, it’s pretty much a bust. Swell drops to 1ft to 2ft out of the SSW, and the wind comes back onshore, gusting 15 to 25 mph. The periods get long – up to 20 seconds – but with that little height, it's just not doing anything. There’s a spike in energy around the 12th and 13th of August, with the combined swell energy hitting 1000+, and 4ft to 4ft from the South at long periods, but the wind is howling at 22-25 mph cross-off. The system only calls it marginal. A long-period groundswell like that at Tankers can be tricky with the wind.

Bottom line: Tuesday afternoon the 4th is your one standout. Glass, clean, 4ft from the East, good period. After that, expect a long, frustrating stretch of marginal to poor conditions for over a week. The water is about 81°F, which is pretty average for the season.

Rusty.

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