Tarcoola (Chanteez) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, your local surf reporter. Right, let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Tarcoola (Chanteez). This spot is an exposed, advanced-level break, and it’s fairly consistent. The water’s sitting at 67°, which is just about bang on average for this time of year. Nothing unusual there.

The overall pattern is a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got some solid, long-period groundswell on the cards, but the wind is going to be a real pain in the backside for most of the run. The first decent surf window is this Thursday morning, the 10th of September. We’ve got a 5ft SW groundswell with a 15-second period – that’s proper long-period energy, meaning nice, powerful lines. The wind is glassy offshore from the ENE, so it’s going to be clean. The swell energy is strong at 1070. This is the standout of the whole forecast. Get on it.

The outlook after that gets messy. Thursday afternoon drops to 4ft and the wind swings cross-offshore, which is still okay, but not as perfect. Friday the 11th and Saturday the 12th are pretty much write-offs with cross-on winds and choppy conditions. Sunday the 13th is a no-go in the afternoon with 16 mph cross-on winds.

Now, Monday the 14th morning has a 7ft SW swell at 14 seconds, with clean cross-offshore wind and a light breeze. The swell energy is very strong (1704). But here’s the thing: at this size, for an advanced spot like this, it’s pushing into expert territory. It’s still rideable for the crew who know what they’re doing, but it’s a big call.

The middle of the week from the 15th to the 16th is a mess of strong cross-on winds and lumpy, choppy surf. The swell is big, over 8ft, but the quality is shot. A couple of times the wind is more cross-shore, but the chop is still there.

Then, we get a brief reprieve on Thursday morning, the 17th of September. We’ve got a 5ft SW swell, 15-second period, and the wind is glassy – absolutely dead calm. The swell energy is moderate (1020). That’s a good, clean session, but it’s not the size of the Thursday before.

The second week, from the 18th onwards, is a story of too much swell and bad wind. The 19th of September has a massive 12ft WSW swell, but it’s a total dog with fresh cross-on winds. The energy is enormous (9599), but it’s unsurfable. The 20th has a 7ft swell, but it’s too big for this break and the wind is onshore. The 21st and 22nd see similar issues – big, powerful swells but with onshore winds. The 23rd has a 10ft swell with cross winds, but that’s for experts only, and the wind is fresh. The 24th sees the swell drop back to 6ft, but the wind is cross-shore, making it marginal.

So, to wrap it up: the one true standout is Thursday morning, the 10th of September. Get out there. The Thursday morning of the 17th is a good second option if you missed it. The rest of the window is either too windy, too big, or both. For the advanced crew, the Monday morning of the 14th and the 21st might be worth a look if you’re feeling brave, but don’t expect perfection.

Rusty.

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