Tennis Courts Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s break down Tennis Courts. This is a reef break, exposed and set for the advanced surfer only.

Right off the bat, this forecast is a tough one. Starting Saturday the 5th, we’ve got a 2.2m swell from the ENE, coming in with a stiff 30 km/h cross-offshore wind. The wave energy is strong at 2388 (moderate to strong combined energy), and the period is 13 seconds, so there’s proper groundswell. But that wind is fresh, and it keeps the surface clean but fighting the shape. The surf is called marginal with questionable tide conditions. Sunday the 6th is much the same: 2.1m ENE swell, cross-off wind, energy at 2062. Monday the 7th gets interesting: a 14-second SW groundswell arrives at 1.9m in the morning, then jumps to 2.4m in the afternoon with energy spiking to 3077 and then 4507. That’s a lot of power, but the wind swings cross and then cross-on, and the afternoon is labelled poor with a fresh cross-onshore chop. That’s too big for beginners, and for experts, the wind kills it.

Honestly, there’s no true standout in the first week. The wind is almost always a fresh 20-30 km/h from the ENE or E. The best looking window might be the morning of Tuesday the 8th: a 2.4m SW swell, offshore wind from the SSE at 20 km/h, 11-second period, energy at 3090. That swell direction matches the optimum for the break. But the file calls it ‘poor surf conditions’ and the wave state is unknown, so I can’t get excited.

The second week is quieter. From Wednesday the 9th, the swell drops below 1m most days, with energy in the 500-800 range (weak) and short periods of 7-8 seconds. The wind stays cross-off but gets stronger, up to 40 km/h by Friday the 18th. There is a little spike on Tuesday the 15th and Wednesday the 16th: a very long-period 20-21 second SW groundswell at only 0.7m to 0.9m, with energy around 709-1105 (moderate). That kind of period on a reef can produce clean, lined-up waves if the tide works. Winds are cross-off at 20-25 km/h, so the face will be clean. The morning of the 16th scores a 3, the highest in the outlook. That Wednesday the 16th morning is the pick: 0.9m of 18-second SSW groundswell, moderate energy, clean conditions. It’s small, but for an advanced reef, that groundswell can offer very tidy rides, especially if the crowd is only sometimes there. Water temp is about average for the time of year.

Overall, this is a long run of poor to marginal conditions. There’s a gap of several days in the second week where the surf drops and the wind howls. The 20th of September has 1.0m of 15-second SSW swell, but with a 40 km/h cross-off, it’s a battle. For the whole 16 days, the best for the experienced crew is that Tuesday and Wednesday, the 15th and 16th—small but with incredible period. If you get the tide right, it might hold a few gems.

Rusty.

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