Tennis Courts Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking.

Alright, the outlook for the next couple of weeks is a bit of a mixed bag. We’re looking at a decent run of swell, but the wind is going to be the main character for a lot of it, and not always in a good way. The water temperature is sitting right around 80°, which is bang on average for this time of year, so no drama there.

The first real highlight I can see is shaping up for Thursday the 3rd of September. We’ve got Tennis Courts (reef) showing a solid 7 ft swell from the ENE with a period of 8 seconds. The wind is set to go light and cross-off in the afternoon, which is a major positive. That’s going to be clean and punchy. The combined energy is hitting 902 (moderate wave energy), so there’s some real grunt behind it. For the advanced crew, this is the one to circle. The swell direction is a good match for the optimum.

Before that, we’ve got a long stretch of mostly marginal to poor conditions. The wind is a persistent cross-off from the ENE, mostly a fresh breeze, which is keeping the surf clean but the quality is just not there. The swell is either too weak or too short-period. From Saturday the 22nd right through to the end of the month, it’s a lot of 5 ft to 6 ft ENE windswell with a period of 6 to 7 seconds. That’s short, weak, and unappealing. There’s a brief moment on Wednesday the 26th afternoon where a 2 ft, 18-second swell from the S shows up, which is a very long period, but the energy is still moderate (621) and the wind is still a cross-off. Not enough to get excited about.

The week of the 1st of September sees the swell size pick up. Tuesday the 1st has 7 ft from the ENE, but the wind is still a moderate cross-off, and it’s only rated as marginal. The real standout is that Thursday the 3rd afternoon. The 7 ft ENE swell, with a light breeze going cross-off, is the best combo on offer. The combined energy is strong at 902. This is the one.

After that, it gets messy again. Friday the 4th and Saturday the 5th see the wind crank back up to a strong breeze, and the swell becomes a bit too lumpy and wind-affected for my liking. The 8 ft on Friday morning is a bit much for anyone but experts, and the 25 mph wind on Saturday will chop it up. By Sunday the 6th, we’re looking at a near gale from the NE, so that’s a write-off.

So, the short story is: be patient. The first week and a half is mostly a write-off unless you’re desperate for a paddle. The one true standout is Thursday the 3rd of September at Tennis Courts. Get it while it’s good.

Rusty.

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