Tengan Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking for the Tengan area. Gotta be straight with you – the first week or so is a total write-off. The surf is tiny and the wind is a messy cross-onshore most days. There’s a long dry spell from the 15th through to the 19th where you’re just wrestling small, choppy junk. The combined wave energy is weak, barely hitting triple digits (141) on the 15th morning. Not worth paddling out.

However, things start to rumble to life later on. The standout action is all in the last few days of September and the very start of October. Hold out for the 27th through the 30th. That’s where the magic is likely to happen.

Let’s break it down. For the 20th and 21st of September, the swell jumps up, but it’s messy with strong winds. The 20th sees the swell hitting 6ft to 7ft from the east, but with a fresh cross-shore wind, it’s lumpy. The 21st has a bit better direction (NNW cross-off) and a solid 5ft to 7ft swell, but the period drops off, making it a bit chaotic. The combined wave energy is strong though, over 1500 on the 20th and 1269 on the 21st, so there's power, but not much shape. This is more of a kite-surfing kind of setup, honestly.

The real head-turner comes from the 27th of September onward. Surf is building from the southeast with a very long period groundswell of 14 to 16 seconds. That’s the kind of energy that travels for days. The 27th morning is 6ft with a 14-second period, and by the 28th afternoon, it’s hitting 10ft with a 16-second period. The combined swell energy goes ballistic – over 1700 on the 27th afternoon, 3675 on the 28th morning, and peaking at 7877 on the 30th afternoon. That’s massive power.

Now, the caveat: Tengan is a reef setup, and it’s inconsistent by nature. When you get this kind of long-period SE energy, it’s often best on a reef or point, but with 10ft to 13ft surf, this is strictly for experts. The size will be intimidating, and the long period can make the sets unpredictable. The wind is cross-shore, not clean offshore, which is a bit of a letdown. For the 28th, the swell is 8ft to 10ft (too big for beginners), and by the 30th, it’s a solid 12ft to 13ft. Only the most experienced chargers should even think about it.

Water temp is a balmy 84°F, which is about average for this time of year, so no wetsuit needed.

Bottom line: The first week is a skip. The real window is the very end of the month. The 27th and 28th of September offer the best combo of size and swell quality, but it’s not perfect. It’s a raw, powerful, expert-only reef break that’s inconsistent. If you’re skilled and patient, it could be a session to remember. The 30th is just huge and messy. Keep an eye on the wind shifts – a cleaner offshore would make it world-class, but we’re not seeing that.

Stay stoked, check the charts, and be ready for the last weekend of the month.

Rusty.

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