Telescopes Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's cooking at our only real option for the next couple of weeks.

The entire 16-day window is all about Telescopes. This is a consistent, exposed reef break, and it's handling a steady stream of SSW groundswell. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing weird going on there.

We kick things off this Sunday, the 16th of August, with chest-high, 4ft S swell running on a very long 15-second period. Winds are light cross-off, so it's clean. The energy is moderate (926). It's not huge, but the quality is there. Monday the 17th is much the same, with a similar 4ft S swell, though the wind picks up a notch. Still clean, still fun.

Things start to ramp up properly from Tuesday the 18th. The swell jumps to 6ft from the SSW, period stretching to 16 seconds. We're talking solid overhead surf with moderate wave energy (2178). This is where it starts getting serious for experienced surfers only. Wednesday the 19th sees the swell hit 8ft with an 18-second period, pushing massive energy into the reef (3846). That's a heavy, powerful groundswell. The morning is clean with cross-off winds, but the afternoon goes cross-shore with a chop. This is big, powerful stuff—not for the faint of heart.

The standout of the whole run? I'd pick Thursday the 20th of August and Friday the 21st. Thursday sees a still-chunky 8ft SSW swell with a 16-second period, but the afternoon turns excellent, with clean conditions and light breezes. The energy is substantial (2675). Then Friday morning drops a touch to a very manageable 6ft, 15-second swell, with light 6 mph SE cross-off winds. The energy is still pumping (2284), and the forecast points to excellent conditions for experienced surfers. That morning session is the jewel in the crown.

After that, we get a long run of solid, clean surf through the end of August, with most days seeing 5ft to 7ft SSW swell and light to moderate cross-off winds. There are a few afternoons with a cross-shore chop, but the mornings are consistently clean. The energy levels stay in the moderate to strong range (1363 to 2582). Because this is a reef break, that long-period groundswell will draw up some proper lines, but the sets will have long lulls between them, making the paddle out a bit of a breather.

Come the 28th of August, we get an absolute gem: Friday morning with a 5ft SW swell, 15-second period, with 3 mph SE glassy winds. The energy is moderate (1097), but a glassy reef break? That’s special. The following weekend sees a drop in size but a kick in period, with a 20-second, 3ft SSW swell on Saturday the 29th, and a punchier 6ft SW swell on Sunday the 30th. The run finally wraps up on Monday the 31st of August with a solid 7ft SW swell on a 16-second period, but with a 15 mph cross-off wind keeping it clean.

So, bottom line: this is a run for experienced surfers plugging into a consistent reef set-up. The Thursday/Friday combo around the 20th-21st is your best bet, and that glassy Friday morning on the 28th is a real treat if you can wait. Crowds are only sometimes a problem, so you might get some company. Don't expect any beginners' waves here—when it's over 5ft, it's too much for learners.

Rusty.

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