Tarcoola (Chanteez) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a long, hard look at what we’ve got cookin’ over at Tarcoola (Chanteez). The outlook is a strange one – we start with a real tease of perfect conditions on Sunday, but it’s all too big and gnarly for a paddle, then we hit a massive wall of mediocrity before the big stuff returns. Let’s break it down.

First up, Sunday the 30th of August. We’ve got a solid 7ft SW groundswell hammering the coast, with an 18-second period – that’s some serious long-period energy moving through. The water is sitting at 68°, bang on average for the time of year. The morning is glassy with a slight offshore breeze from the SW. But here’s the kicker: the combined energy is a massive 3115 (strong), and the forecast warns it’s simply too big for this setup at Tarcoola. It’s an advanced break anyway, but with numbers like that, it’s strictly for the big-wave chargers. It’s a true stand-out *for a specific crew*, but if you’re not on that level, it’s a no-go. The afternoon stays similar, 7ft SW swell, but a light cross-onshore breeze messes with the glass a bit.

Monday the 31st through to Wednesday the 2nd of September is a write-off. The swell drops to 6-6ft, but the conditions are just not there. Cross-shore winds, onshore winds, and marginal tide commentary across the board. Combined energy falls into the lower three-digit range (1163 to 2007). There is nothing worth paddling out for during this stretch.

Thursday the 3rd of September morning brings a flicker of hope. The swell is 6ft from the SW, still a 13-second period, and we get that glassy, slight air wind again. The commentary calls it "excellent for experienced surfers." The energy is lower at 1069 (moderate), so it might just be manageable for the right person. But then the afternoon gets trashed by offshore winds, and Friday the 4th through Sunday the 6th is a mess of poor conditions or swell that’s way too big (10ft-12ft) with strong onshore and cross-shore winds. The energy readings spike back up to 5428 and 3620 (strong), but it’s all too gnarly and messy.

Then, something interesting happens. Monday the 7th of September starts a run of clean, offshore-to-cross-offshore winds, but the swell is simply enormous. Monday morning sees 10ft SW swell at a 17-second period with clean conditions from an E cross-offshore breeze. The energy is 5466 (very strong). This is *another* stand-out window, but only if you’ve got the minerals. Monday afternoon bumps to 12ft SW at 18 seconds with 8305 (very strong) energy – that’s a proper big-wave day. This pattern of clean but massive swell (8ft-12ft) continues through to Tuesday the 8th, with offshore NE winds on Tuesday morning. After Tuesday afternoon, things start to drop.

From Wednesday the 9th of September onwards, the swell retreats into the 5ft-8ft range, but the quality falls off a cliff. Onshore and cross-shore winds dominate, and most sessions are marked as marginal or poor. Energy drops to the 1200-1600 range (moderate). There’s a brief window on Thursday the 10th with a clean cross-offshore breeze on 6ft swell, but the energy is weak. Then from the 11th to the 14th, it’s a mix of cross-on winds and big, lumpy cross-shore breezes, with the swell jumping up to 8ft again. The energy stays moderate to strong (1600-3200), but the wind just won’t cooperate.

The verdict: The true standouts are Sunday the 30th of August (morning glass, huge groundswell) and the clean, bomb-proof window from Monday the 7th to Tuesday the 8th of September. Both offer exceptional conditions for experienced surfers. For everyone else, it’s a brutal 16-day run of "too big and clean" or "small and junky."

Rusty.

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