Tea Break Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get this sorted. The forecast doesn’t give us much to work with for the next couple of weeks. We’re looking at a long stretch of pretty ordinary conditions, with only a few moments that might be worth a paddle. Let’s break it down day by day.

Right now, starting Thursday the 27th, we’ve got small waves at Tea Break (reef). The swell is coming from the east at 2 feet to 4 feet, with a short period of 8 seconds so the energy is weak (118). The wind is a moderate cross-shore breeze, which keeps the surface a bit messy and cross-chop. It’s not really surfable for the most part. On Friday the 28th there’s still a bit of push but the wind cranks up to 19 mph in the afternoon, making it lumpy. The swell height stays around 3 feet to 5 feet but the period drops to 5 seconds, which is just confused and junky. Saturday and Sunday the 29th and 30th are more of the same — small east swell, moderate to fresh cross-shore winds, and poor surf. The energy stays moderate (around 179 to 209), but the conditions are just not clean.

Then, on Monday the 31st of August, things get interesting for a moment. The morning still has that small east swell, but the afternoon brings a big jump. We see a 7 feet east swell with a long period of 12 seconds, and the combined energy ramps up to 1098 — that’s strong wave energy. The wind is a moderate cross-shore, so it’s not clean, but it’s marginal. This is the biggest swell of the outlook, but the cross-shore wind and questionable tide make it only a maybe.

After that, Tuesday the 1st of September drops back to 5 feet east swell, period 9 seconds, energy around 441, but again the cross-shore wind and risk of thunderstorms keep it from being good. From Wednesday the 2nd right through to Thursday the 10th, the swell stays small, mostly under 3 feet, with periods under 10 seconds and weak to moderate energy. The wind stays cross-shore or cross-onshore, and the surf is consistently poor. On Monday the 7th, the swell direction shifts to the north briefly, but it’s still small at 2 feet.

The one standout that might be worth a look is on Tuesday the 8th of September in the morning. The swell is 3 feet from the north-northeast, period 9 seconds, and the wind is a light cross-offshore from the ESE. That’s clean conditions! The energy is 149, which is weak, but it’s the only time in the entire outlook where the word “clean” is used. For a reef break like Tea Break, that light offshore wind could make for some smooth, rideable waves despite the small size. It’s not going to be big, but it’s the best of a bad lot.

The rest of the second week, from the 9th to the 11th, it’s back to small east swells, cross-shore winds, and poor surf. Wednesday the 9th sees a 2 feet NNE swell with a 10-second period, but the wind is a moderate cross-shore. By Friday the 11th, the swell drops to 3 feet from the east with a 5-second period and weak energy (54). Not much to get excited about.

So, to sum it up: if you’re desperate, try the morning of Tuesday the 8th of September at Tea Break. The rest of the 16 days is mostly a write-off. The consistent east wind and lack of decent swell direction mean the surf stays small and messy. It’s a tough stretch for the area.

Rusty

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