Tankers Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about Tankers. The water’s sitting at 81°, and with a temperature anomaly of just 0.5°, it’s about as normal as it gets for the time of year – no surprises there.

We’ve got a bit of a waiting game ahead. The forecast opens with a run of days where the surf is just not cooperating. Sunday the 30th and Monday the 31st of August, plus Tuesday the 1st of September, all have small swell and a steady cross-off breeze that keeps it clean, but the waves are weak and unrideable. The combined swell energy is low, sitting between 349 and 498 (moderate). It’s frustrating, because the conditions look clean, but there’s just no push.

The first glimmer of something arrives on Wednesday the 2nd of September. It’s still marginal, with a 3ft swell from the south at 16 seconds, and a combined energy of 602 (moderate). The morning offers a chance, but the wind is a cross-off from the ENE at 15 mph, so it's clean but not quite firing. Thursday the 3rd drops back into poor territory.

Then we get a bit of a shift. Friday the 4th of September sees a bump in size – 7ft from the east in the morning, building to 8ft in the afternoon, but the period is a short 8 seconds and the wind is howling from the NE at 25–28 mph. The combined energy jumps to 962 (strong) and then 1378 (very strong). This is a messy, lumpy setup. For experienced surfers only, and honestly, with that wind and short period, it might be more interesting for the kite crew than paddle surfers.

Saturday the 5th of September is the standout if you’re keen. The swell is 6ft from the SSE with a 10-second period, delivering a combined energy of 1504 (very strong). The wind is cross-shore from the east at 19 mph, and there’s a fresh cross-chop making it lumpy. It’s not classic Tankers, but there’s size and power. It’s a marginal call, but it’s the best we’ve got for a while.

After that, Sunday the 6th and Monday the 7th drop back into a poor pattern with small swell and strong cross-off winds. Tuesday the 8th of September brings a morning of offshore wind from the north at 25 mph, with a 8ft east swell at 9 seconds and a combined energy of 1784 (very strong). That’s a big, powerful, offshore-clean setup, but it’s going to be a battle to get out and the waves will be heavy. Expert-only territory.

The rest of the second week is a mix of small, clean surf with long-period groundswell from the SSW, but the energy is moderate and the conditions are either marginal or poor. There’s nothing that jumps out as a solid go-to.

Overall, the best bet in this 16-day window is Saturday the 5th of September for the size and power, or Tuesday the 8th of September if you’re an expert and can handle a strong offshore wind and heavy 8ft east swell. Everything else is a waiting game.

Rusty.

Read more