Tengan Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, let’s talk about what’s coming up for the next couple of weeks.

First off, it’s a quiet start and it’s going to stay that way for a while. We’re looking at a long stretch of hardly any surf at Tengan. From Wednesday, July 29th right through to Sunday, August 2nd, the waves are tiny, mostly around 0.7 ft to 1 ft, with a weak south-east windswell. The combined energy is just a whisper (19 to 94), and the swell period is short, around 9 to 17 seconds. It’s glassy in the mornings, which is nice, but there’s just nothing to ride. The water temperature is 86°, which is about 2° warmer than usual for this time of year – a bit of a warm bath.

The first real chance of anything rideable comes on Monday, August 3rd. The swell starts to build, with a 3 ft east swell at 16 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 333. It’s marginal though, and the wind is a cross-shore from the north at 25 km/h, which is going to mess up the surface. The swell direction is east, which is not the optimum north-east for this reef break.

Tuesday, August 4th sees a bigger pulse. The morning has 4 ft east swell (18 seconds, 1039 energy), and the afternoon picks up to 5 ft east swell (18 seconds, 1718 energy). The wind is still a cross-shore from the north, so it’s going to be bumpy and choppy. This is rideable, but it’s a messy, blown-out kind of day. The swell is getting too big for beginners at 5 ft.

Wednesday, August 5th is the standout, but with a massive caveat. The morning has a 8 ft east swell with a 19-second period, and the combined energy is a massive 3956. This is a strong, long-period groundswell, and it’s the biggest push of the window. The problem is the wind. It’s a strong cross-shore from the north-northeast at 30 km/h, making it lumpy and pretty ugly. This is one for experts only, as it’s over 8 ft. The swell direction is east, and the optimum is north-east, so it’s not hitting the break perfectly. Even so, if you’re experienced and can handle the chop, the power is there.

After that, it gets wild and dangerous. Thursday, August 6th brings a storm surge with 15 ft east swell and hurricane-force winds. Friday, August 7th is even worse, with a 28 ft north swell and violent storm-force winds. That’s exclusively for the suicidal or the kite surfers, not for paddle surfing. The whole week from August 6th to the 9th is a write-off for normal surfing.

Sunday, August 10th onwards, the swell drops back to tiny, weak, and onshore junk. The winds swing onshore from the east, and the waves are under 3 ft, with poor quality. The combined energy drops to under 210. That’s it for the rest of the forecast. There’s nothing else to recommend.

So, to wrap it up: if you’re an expert and you don’t mind a cross-shore mess, the morning of Wednesday, August 5th has the biggest, most powerful swell of the period. For everyone else, the whole 16-day window is a bust. Don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

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