Tankers Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Well, it’s a bit of a tough run ahead for Tankers. The next 16 days are looking pretty average, with only a couple of windows where you might actually want to paddle out. Let’s break it down.

The first real chance to get wet doesn’t come until the afternoon of Tuesday, 4th August. It’s not the biggest, but the conditions are the best we’ll see for a while. The swell is coming from the east at 4ft, with a period of 11 seconds—that’s a nice groundswell with some proper energy. The combined energy is moderate (462), and the wind is glassy, absolutely dead calm. That means the surface will be like a mirror. It’s a reef break, so that long-period swell will wrap in nicely. The crowd factor is “often,” so expect a few locals out, but it’s worth it for the clean conditions.

Before that, from the start of the period on Saturday, 1st August, through to Tuesday morning, we’ve got consistent swell but it’s all being blown out by strong cross-offshore winds. That 8ft east swell on Saturday morning (1223 combined energy) is big and powerful, but with 28 mph winds, it’s gonna be a messy, blown-out mess. This is expert-only territory at that size, and honestly, it looks more like a kite-surfing day than a paddle-surfing day.

The water temperature is sitting at 81°, which is about 1° warmer than the long-term average for this time of year. Nothing unusual there, just a typical warm August for Tankers.

After that Tuesday highlight, it goes quiet again. The following few days (Wednesday 5th to Friday 7th) are mostly poor, with tiny swells and onshore winds. The energy drops right off. There’s a brief mention of a very long-period swell on Friday the 7th (21 seconds!), but it’s only 1ft—that’s pure energy with no size. Not worth it.

The next time it gets interesting is around the 12th and 13th of August. Wednesday morning, 12th August, we see a south swell at 4ft with a period of 18 seconds (combined energy 1243). That’s a strong, long-period groundswell. The wind is cross-shore, so there’ll be a bit of chop, but it’s manageable. This is a reef break, so that long period will work in its favour. The 13th holds similar conditions, with a 4ft south swell and a 16-second period. Combined energy is still strong (1119). The winds are cross-offshore, so the face should be clean. Crowds are likely, as always at Tankers, but the quality might be there.

Then, the final standout is on Saturday, 15th August. In the afternoon, the wind drops to glassy again, and we get a 3ft west swell with a 13-second period. Combined energy is moderate (435). It’s small, but clean. Could be a fun little session for a longboard or a fish.

Overall, the 16-day window has a few gaps. After the first few days of blown-out size, there’s a lull from the 5th to the 9th. The real action is in the middle of the second week. The best on offer is probably the glassy afternoon of Tuesday, 4th August, for the cleanest ride, and the bigger south swells on the 12th and 13th for those who want some power. Just remember, when it’s over 8ft, like that Saturday morning, it’s for experts only.

Stay stoked, and keep an eye on the horizon.

Rusty.

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