Tarcoola (Chanteez) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, my fellow wave hunters, Rusty here, putting it in feet and miles for you.

We’ve got a solid run of south-west groundswell lining up for Tarcoola (Chanteez), but this isn’t a beginner’s game. The swell is pumping, and for most of the next two weeks, the size is going to be seriously challenging for anyone who isn’t advanced. The water is sitting at 67°, which is nearly a degree and a half cooler than average for this time of year, so you’ll want a thick suit.

The first window opens up on the Saturday morning of the 15th of August. The wind is offshore from the northeast at 6 mph, and we’ve got a clean 6 ft swell from the southwest with a period of 14 seconds. This is a proper groundswell, and the energy is moderate at 1290. This is your best early call for quality waves if you’ve got the skills.

Sunday afternoon the 16th of August is a real standout. The wind goes glassy, dead calm, with a clean 6 ft swell from the southwest, but the period stretches to 16 seconds. The energy bumps up to 1574. This is a session to remember, pure and clean. Just be aware, with that long period, the sets might be a bit more spaced out, and the swell can run a little too straight at a beach break, but for an exposed spot like this, it should hold.

Don’t get too excited about the middle of the week though. Monday the 17th of August turns to rubbish with strong cross-onshore winds and lumpy, high-energy surf (3463). The swell jumps up to 7 ft, but it’s messy.

The real heavy stuff kicks in from Tuesday the 18th of August. We’re looking at 10 ft southwest swell with huge energy readings (5897). That’s expert-only territory, and the wind is just cross-off or cross-on, so it’s big and powerful but not perfect. This kind of size hangs around for a few days, with the 20th of August sitting on another 10 ft (3880 energy). The breaks are going to be gnarly.

There’s a bit of a lull around the 22nd and 23rd of August, with the swell dropping back to 5 ft to 6 ft, but the wind is messy and the quality drops off. The 22nd morning has offshore wind at 15 mph, but the swell is only 5 ft, and while it’s clean, the energy is still high (2366) for that size, making it feel a bit weird.

The forecast looks rough again for the 24th and 25th, with strong winds and rising swell back to 10 ft, but it’s choppy and onshore. Not worth paddling out.

You want to circle the 27th of August on your calendar. Thursday morning, the wind is light offshore from the east at 6 mph, and the swell drops to a manageable 3 ft, but the period is a massive 19 seconds. The energy is moderate at 1433. That’s a very long period groundswell, and it will wrap in beautifully. The waves will be clean and lined up. This is a promise of high-quality walls.

Then the 28th of August, Friday morning, is another glassy session with a 6 ft south-west swell and light offshore wind from the north-northeast. The energy is 1743. It’s clean, and the sets should be fun.

But the real standout for the entire forecast, the one I’d be most excited about, is the 27th of August. That combination of offshore wind, a tiny swell, and a 19-second period is the kind of day that makes the paddle out easy and the rides long. It’s the best on offer.

Rusty.

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