Tarcoola (Chanteez) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at what's coming up. We've got a solid run of Southern Ocean groundswell on the way, but it’s a mixed bag for paddle surfing at Tarcoola (Chanteez). The water's sitting at 68.2°, which is a good two and a half degrees colder than we'd usually expect for this time of year, so you'll want that extra thickness in your steamer.

The long-range outlook is interesting. There's a pulse of powerful, groundswell energy building. But let's be real, for the next few days, the timing and size bring complications. We see the first real pulse arriving on Sunday the 6th of July. Monday morning the 7th of July has clean 5.9 ft swell from the SW with an offshore breeze – that's the first genuine window. But honestly, the standout to really circle on the calendar is a glassy Saturday morning on July 12th. Yes, there's a very long period 18-second groundswell only pushing 2.0 ft, so don't expect power, but when you get glassy conditions at Tarcoola, you take it. The wave energy is weak (553), but the surface will be like a mirror.

From there, the swell really cranks up. The period from July 13th through to the 16th kicks in with serious size. The energy readings jump to four-digit numbers (1506 to 3891), which signals strong conditions. The problem is the height – we're looking at 6.2 ft to 9.8 ft of SW swell. That's big. Anything over 8.2 ft pushes this into expert-only territory, and some of those afternoon windows get chopped up by onshore breezes. Monday morning the 14th of July has 5.6 ft from the SW and a stiff 18.6 mph offshore ENE breeze (fresh offshore and clean) – that is the call for the more advanced crew who can handle the paddle. The wind will keep it smooth.

After that, it gets a bit messy. There's a run of poor conditions from late week with strong cross-onshore winds and lumpy seas, so we'll have to sit that out. However, the last few days of the outlook, around Saturday the 19th of July and Monday the 21st of July, show another pulse. The Sunday morning the 20th of July has a nice 4.9 ft SW groundswell with a gentle offshore from the ENE. That's a much more manageable size for everyone and the energy is moderate (790). Then Monday morning sees the size bump up again to 7.2 ft with the same 18-second period and a clean offshore – that is a long-range standout that's promising but less certain this far out. Keep your fingers crossed.

A final note: because this swell is primarily long-period SW groundswell (often hitting 15 to 18 seconds), it’s going to be powerful. At a beach break like this, those long-period swells can stand up and pitch fast. Crowds are sometimes a problem here, so on the cleaner days, expect company.

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