Telescopes Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, grab ya board. We’re lookin’ at Telescopes over the next couple weeks, and let me tell ya, this reef setup is about to fire for the right crew. This is a consistent, exposed reef break that needs a solid SW swell to get going proper, and it’s got that steady SE cross-offshore breeze locked in for most of the run. The water’s sitting at 85°, which is pretty much spot on average for this time of year – no weird surprises there. Don’t even think about bringing a beginner here when it gets over 5ft, and over 8ft, it’s strictly for the experienced locals. The swell energy kicks off with a massive 1713 reading, so you know there’s plenty of grunt in the water.

Alright, let’s get into it. We kick off on Friday morning, 28 August. The swell is a healthy 6ft from the SSW direction, with a long period of 16 seconds. That’s proper groundswell, and at this reef, that’s gonna produce some lined-up, powerful walls. The wind’s a clean cross-off at 15 km/h from the SE, keeping it glassy. The combined energy reading is a strong 1713. This is top-shelf, advanced surfing, first thing Friday morning.

We roll through Friday arvo and Saturday, the swell drops a bit – down to 6ft and then 4ft – but the periods stay solid. It’s still clean, but those sessions are more for a fun paddle than a standout. By Sunday the 30th, the swell drops to only 3ft in the morning, but check this: the period jumps to 21 seconds! That’s a very long period groundswell. It’ll be super clean with light SE winds, and a combined energy of 1212. At a beach break, that long period might make it fat, but on a reef like Telescopes, it’s going to draw in those long, bowly lines – perfect for a Sunday morning cruise.

The real standout action fires up from Monday afternoon the 31st all the way through Tuesday the 1st of September. Monday afternoon sees the swell bump to 6ft from the SW, period 18 seconds, and the combined energy skyrockets to 2285 – that’s a serious amount of power. Then Tuesday morning hits with 7ft from the SW at 17 seconds, energy hitting 2583. That is some serious juice. Winds are still that lovely SE cross-off, keeping the faces clean. This is gonna be a heavy, thumping session for advanced guys only – think big, fast reef waves with plenty of push.

After that, the week settles into a very consistent groove with waves between 4ft and 6ft, all from the SW or SSW. Conditions stay clean with light cross-off winds most of the time. Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th see the swell size drop, but the period remains solid, and it’ll be super fun for the more competent surfers looking for a workout.

Now, for the second week, it gets interesting. Saturday the 5th has a little core of 4ft morning, then it picks up again. Sunday the 6th throws a 6ft S swell at us with moderate breeze, but it’s a bit rough. The standout in the back half is Wednesday the 9th of September. The swell is only 3ft from the SSW, but it has a period of 18 seconds, and the wind goes glass in the morning. Zero wind, total glass-off conditions. The energy reading of 774 is moderate but clean as a whistle. That would be a surreal, smooth session with those long-period lines peeling across the reef. Then Thursday the 10th brings another 4ft morning with light breezes.

Finally, we wind up on Friday the 11th and Saturday the 12th. Friday has the swell jumping to 6ft and 7ft from the SSW, but the wind goes onshore from the WNW. That’s a bit messy. However, Saturday the 12th redeems everything: 6ft from the SSW, period 15 seconds, with the wind back to a light ESE cross-off in the morning. The energy is 1774 – strong stuff. Both the morning and afternoon sessions are rated as excellent for experienced surfers. That Saturday morning is your pick for the final day of the run – serious swell, clean faces, and a reef that can handle that power.

Overall, the absolute best on offer is the Tuesday morning of the 1st of September – 7ft, strong SW swell, long period, clean wind, and maximum energy. The other real standout is the glass-off Wednesday morning of the 9th. For an experienced surfer, Telescopes is looking like a classic 16-day run. Crowds are only *sometimes* an issue here, so you’ve got a good shot at a few waves to yourself if you go early.

Rusty.

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