Tarcoola (Chanteez) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, let’s have a look at what’s on the table here. We’ve got a solid run of Southern Ocean groundswell aimed at Tarcoola (Chanteez) over the next couple of weeks, but there’s a bit of a trap for the unwary.

The first proper call is Friday the 28th of August morning. The swell’s pushing 8 ft out of the SSW at a nice long 13 seconds, so there’s heaps of energy. The wind’s a cross-off from the SSE at 19 mph, which will keep it clean enough, but honestly, this is too meaty for most. This is advanced-only territory. Water temp is sitting at 68°, which is pretty much bang on average for the time of year, nothing weird there. Crowds can pop up here sometimes, but with size like this, you’ll likely have it to yourself if you’ve got the chops.

Friday afternoon drops a bit to 7 ft but the wind swings SE at 16 mph, still cross-off. It’s clean but marginal.

Saturday morning the 29th is a weird one. Swell drops right off to 3 ft, but with a 21 second period—super long, proper groundswell. At a beachy like this, that long period can make it close out or bend a bit too straight, but the wind is light SE at 12 mph, cross-off, so if it finds a bank, there’ll be a rare, clean little wave.

Sunday morning the 30th is the standout of the first week. Swell back up to 7 ft at 18 seconds, strong energy, and the wind is a light SSE at just 6 mph, nearly glassy. That’s a major positive. This is the pick of the run for experienced surfers who want size, shape, and clean conditions. Keep in mind it’s exposed to the SW, and that long period might still find the corners a bit peaky, but the morning window is the go.

From there, we hit a patch of average and marginal conditions through the rest of the first week into early September. Monday and Tuesday see onshore and cross-on winds with messy chop.

Tuesday the 1st of September morning is a slight respite—clean, cross-off ESE at 9 mph, 6 ft at 16 seconds. It’s clean and solid, but definitely still a big wave.

Then we have a bit of a lull in quality until Thursday the 3rd of September morning. Glassy conditions, NNW at 3 mph, with a 6 ft SW swell at 14 seconds. That’s a beautiful window—perfect conditions, clean faces, good shape.

Thursday the 10th of September sees 10 ft SSW swell with long 16 second periods, and the wind is light NW at 9 mph, cross-shore. Energy is through the roof. That’s big, powerful, and probably only for the absolute experts. The same size continues into Friday the 11th and Saturday the 12th, but the wind gets a little more onshore. Still, if you’re an advanced charger, that entire week starting September 9th looks promising but less certain.

So to sum it up: the best windows are Sunday the 30th August morning for a clean, strong, well-sized swell, and Thursday the 3rd September morning for glassy perfection with slightly more manageable size. The huge swell in the second week is for the hardcore only.

- Rusty

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