Tankers Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a peek at what’s happening at Tankers for the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a mixed bag – some waiting, one solid pulse, and a few cleaner windows for the smaller stuff.

For the first full week, from now through to about Friday the 15th, we’re seeing mostly small, so-so surf. The water temperature is a warm 81°, which is a touch above normal for this time of year – you’ll be fine in shorts. The swell stays under 4 ft, with periods mostly between 14 and 18 seconds, so there’s some nice groundswell shape in the water, but the size is just not there. The wind stays a moderate cross-off, keeping things clean but not exciting. The wave energy is moderate, bouncing around in the hundreds to low thousands on the combined scale. It’s longboard or funboard territory.

Then we get to Saturday the 15th – and this is where it really fires up. By the morning, we’ve got a 7 ft easterly swell with a 12-second period and strong energy (1660 combined units). By the afternoon, it’s pushing 8 ft with 13 seconds and very strong energy (2497 combined units). This is the standout window, but listen: over 8 ft on a reef like Tankers is for experts only. The cross-off wind holds through the morning, so it will be clean, but crowds are likely. The direction isn’t a perfect match for the spot’s optimum, but with that much power in the water, it’s going to pump. For the confident crew, the Saturday morning session on the 15th looks like the best, most powerful call on offer.

Sunday the 16th turns into a total mess. We get a gale-force SSE cross-on wind and a risk of thunderstorms, making for dangerous and blown-out conditions. After that, we hit a long, quiet gap from Sunday through to Friday the 21st. Most days are either too windy or just too weak, with swell dropping to around 2 ft to 3 ft and messy seas.

The next decent window opens on Friday afternoon the 21st. A light cross-off breeze returns, with around 2 ft of clean southwest groundswell. The energy is low (300 combined units), but the conditions are glassy and clean. This carries into Saturday morning the 22nd, with a similar 2 ft southwest swell and very light offshore wind. It’s small and perfect for a beginner or anyone wanting a peaceful, clean session.

Looking way ahead to Tuesday the 25th of August, there’s a more interesting pulse. We’ve got a 4 ft south swell building through the day with moderate energy (1044 combined units) and a long 17-second period. The wind stays cross-off. It has potential for some nicely shaped waves, but that’s over two weeks out, so it’s a wait-and-see.

Best bets: Saturday the 15th morning at Tankers for the experts wanting size and power. For everyone else, Friday afternoon the 21st and Saturday morning the 22nd offer the cleanest, friendliest small waves of the period.

Rusty out.

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