Tenia Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty.

Right, we’ve got a long window ahead for Tenia, but we’re in for a bit of a frustrating start. The first few days are pretty average – the swell is small and the wind is messy, so you’re not missing much. The real standout window doesn’t arrive until the 12th of September, but even then, that swell gets big quick.

Let’s break it down. For Saturday the 5th and into Sunday morning the 6th, the swell at Tenia is around 3 ft to 6 ft from the SSW, but the wind is cross-on or cross, and the conditions are described as poor to marginal. That 6 ft on Sunday morning has moderate wave energy (1493) but it’s not clean enough to get excited about. Monday the 7th and Tuesday the 8th are similar – small, cross-on, choppy. It’s a slow start, a real waiting game. Water temp is 73°, about normal for this time of year.

There’s a big jump in swell size from the 10th of September onward. By Thursday the 10th, we’re seeing 6 ft to 7 ft SSW swells, but the wind is cross-on and moderate to fresh, and the conditions are poor. It’s not rideable. Friday the 11th has a very long period SSW groundswell of 22 seconds, but the swell is only 3 ft to 4 ft with fresh cross-shore wind and lumpy chop. That long period means it’ll be a bit walled at a beach break, but Tenia is a reef, so it could shape up – but not with that wind.

Now, the real standout: Saturday the 12th of September. Early morning sees a solid 12 ft SSW swell with a period of 18 seconds, combined wave energy is a massive 8139 – strong, powerful swell. The wind is cross-shore, fresh, but the forecast says wind and tide are favorable, though the swell is too big for this break. This is expert territory, no doubt. If you’re an experienced surfer and you know the reef, this is potentially the best day on offer, but it’s size will be intimidating. Sunday the 13th and Monday the 14th stay big – 8 ft to 12 ft – but with cross-shore winds and marginal to poor conditions.

There’s a bit of a breather on Tuesday the 15th of September. The morning is okay at 6 ft, but the afternoon is clean with a gentle cross-offshore breeze and 5 ft SSW swell. That afternoon is the pick of the first week – clean surf, moderate energy (1143), suitable for experienced surfers. It’s the one session that looks genuinely fun without being a battle.

From the 16th onward, the swell fluctuates, but the wind stays mostly cross or cross-on. Thursday the 17th is small and poor. Then Friday the 18th and Saturday the 19th see another big pulse of 12 ft SSW swell, again with wave energy through the roof (7941 and 5029) and again the forecast says it’s too big for Tenia, only for experts who know the reef. Sunday the 20th drops in size but brings rain showers and fresh onshore wind – no good.

So, overall: it’s a week of waiting, then one excellent clean session on the afternoon of Tuesday the 15th. The big swells on the 12th and 18th are for experts only and come with challenging winds. If you’re a punter, aim for that Tuesday afternoon – it’s your best shot at clean, ridable waves.

Rusty.

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