Tengan Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's talk about what we've got on the horizon for the coming weeks. Honestly, for a stretch here, it's a bit of a struggle. We're looking at a long, dry spell with nothing worth getting wet for, but things might just stir to life right at the tail end of the outlook.

From now, right through to the end of July, the surf is flat-out poor. We're talking tiny, weak dribbles of swell, mostly coming from the east and southeast – think knee-high at best, with crummy 0.7ft to 1.0ft surf. The wind is messing it up too, usually blowing onshore or cross-onshore, making things choppy and messy. There's no energy in the water, with combined swell energy readings barely getting past the mid-20s – just sad little numbers. You'll wait all that time for a wave, and when it arrives, it'll be disappointing. There is a brief window on the afternoon of Wednesday the 29th of July and the morning of Thursday the 30th where it goes glassy, but it's still just tiny, weak 0.7ft slop. It's just not enough to paddle for.

We then hit a stretch from the 1st of August into the 2nd that’s still poor, with a few more glassy moments and a bit more swell energy starting to trickle in – the combined energy gets up to 36 - but the swell is short-period and messy. Then on Monday the 3rd of August, things get a bit weird. The afternoon brings a jump in swell to 4ft from the southeast, with combined energy up to 105, but the period is a short, gutless 6 seconds and it's wind-blown. It's not surfable – that kind of short-period chop is just a washing machine.

Now, for the patient folk. From Tuesday the 4th of August onwards, it gets more interesting but also dangerous. The swell direction swings around to the east and southeast with a very long period of 15 to 17 seconds, and the energy levels climb into the hundreds and then thousands – serious power. But the wind is the big issue. It's going to howl from the east and southeast at 25 to 31 mph, with rain and thunderstorms likely. This massive groundswell hitting on Thursday the 6th of August afternoon and Friday the 7th of August is the standout – we're talking a 7ft swell from the east with a 16-17 second period and combined energy over 2100. That is a lot of water moving.

Here’s the kicker for Tengan. It's a reef break that is usually inconsistent. This kind of very long-period groundswell works best on a deep-water point or river mouth, not a straight reef. With those strong cross-offshore winds from the south-southwest, the shape could be clean, but on a reef, that long period can make the wave jack up and close out. Plus, with a solid 7ft swell and that much energy, this is strictly for the pros – it's far too heavy for beginners and most intermediates. It’s also a spot that can have crowds, and any break showing this much life will be busy.

Before then, from Monday the 3rd of August afternoon through to Wednesday the 5th, the combined swell energy is moderate to strong, but those strong onshore winds will tear the surface apart. That window from Thursday the 6th to Friday the 7th is the only real chance on offer, but it's a gnarly, expert-only mission under stormy skies. Check your tides and really think about whether that reef is your friend with that much energy. Keep an eye on it, but don't get too excited until the wind story changes.

Stay safe out there.

Rusty.

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