Tankers Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what Tankers is serving up over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, it’s a tough start. The first proper look we get isn’t until Friday, July 10th, and honestly, the surf is tiny. We’re talking small, clean, 1 ft swell from the SW, but the energy is weak at best (176). The wind is a fresh cross-offshore from the ENE, which keeps the surface clean, but there's just not enough push to get excited about. The water temp is sitting at 80°, right on the money for this time of year, nothing strange there.

The weekend into early next week stays on the small side. Saturday morning, July 11th, sees the swell nudge up to 2 ft from the SW, with a very long period of 18 seconds (moderate energy at 609). That long period means the waves will have some shape but could be a bit straight on this reef setup. It’s marginal, and the wind stays fresh cross-off. Saturday afternoon and Sunday are more of the same – small, clean, but lacking any real punch.

Monday, July 13th, and Tuesday, July 14th, show a slight shift, with the swell backing off a touch and turning more westerly. The energy is still moderate (817 on Tuesday morning), and the wind eases to a moderate breeze, keeping things tidy. The call is marginal, nothing to write home about.

By Wednesday and Thursday (July 15th & 16th), the wind swings a bit more side-shore, putting a bit of a chop on the surface. The swell stays around 3 ft, but the conditions get a little messy. Not worth paddling out for.

We hit a bit of a dry spell from Friday the 17th through to Sunday the 19th. The swell tries to pick up a bit on Saturday, hitting 6 ft from the E on the afternoon, but it’s a short-period windswell of just 6-7 seconds. That, combined with fresh cross-off winds, makes for a poor, lumpy mess. Forget it for surfing.

Then, into the second week, things remain stubbornly average. Monday, July 20th, has some 5 ft E swell in the morning, but again, it’s short period and marginal. From Tuesday the 21st to Thursday the 23rd, we’re back to small SW and S groundswells, all with moderate energy and consistent cross-off wind. It’s clean, but it’s small.

The real hope, and the standout of this whole outlook, comes on Friday, July 24th, and Saturday, July 25th. On Friday, we get a 3 ft SSW groundswell, with a solid period of 17-18 seconds and good energy behind it (675 on the afternoon). The wind is moderate and cross-off – clean. It’s still small, but the quality is there. But Saturday morning, July 25th, is the pick of the bunch. Same 3 ft SSW swell, decent 15-second period, and for the first time in this whole forecast, the wind drops to a light breeze. That will mean clean, glassy conditions at Tankers. The combined energy is moderate (478), and it’s the only time we see a solid recommendation for good surf conditions. This is your window. It’s still on the small side for a reef, but for a beginner-friendly spot, that’s perfect. Get on it before the wind picks up in the afternoon.

So, to wrap it up: a lot of small, clean but weak surf with a long wait for that tiny window of glassy conditions on Saturday the 25th. That’s the session to aim for.

- Rusty

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