Tennis Courts Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright crew, Rusty here. Let's break it down.

We're looking at a pretty ordinary stretch ahead for Tennis Courts. The water temp is sitting right around average for this time of year at 81°, so nothing unusual there. The problem is, for a spot that's a fairly consistent reef break with an exposed setup, the conditions just aren't lining up for quality paddle surfing. The wind is a near-constant cross-off from the ENE, which is a decent direction, but it's just too strong most days, and the swell direction is often swinging off the optimum.

The first few days, from Wednesday the 12th through to Friday the 14th, are a write-off. You've got a weak, long-period S/SSW groundswell hanging around, but with a combined energy of only 892 (moderate), and the ESE/ENE wind blowing at 19-22 mph, it's just not coming together. The scores are at rock bottom, and the comment says it all: marginal at best. Friday afternoon sees a jump in height to 6 ft from the ENE, but with a short, weak 8-second period and a poor surf rating, that's a big no.

Then we hit the weekend of the 15th and 16th, and it gets ugly. We're talking serious swell, with combined energy values hitting 2195 and 2904 (strong to very strong). Saturday morning shows 10 ft from the ENE, and by Sunday morning it's 12 ft from the E with a 34 mph near gale blowing. That's expert-only territory, and even then, the wind and raw conditions are going to be a mess. The shorter period (9-11 seconds) on a beach-and-reef setup like this in that much onshore wind? That looks more interesting for kite surfing than for a paddle surfer, to be honest.

After that stormy period, there's a long, quiet gap. From Monday the 17th through to almost the end of the month, we're looking at a mix of ENE windswell with a very short period (7-8 seconds) and super low energy (361-790). The combined energy is weak, and the wave heights bounce between 5 ft and 6 ft, but the period is so short it'll be a choppy, crumbly mess. The scores stay at 0 or 1 throughout. There's a brief tease on the 20th with a 2 ft, 18-second SSW groundswell, but it's tiny and the wind is still a factor.

The only real standout, and I'm being generous here, is the morning of the 21st of August. The swell is 6 ft from the ENE, period is still short at 7 seconds, but the wind eases to 12 mph, and the score creeps up to a 2. That's the best we get. The rest of the run is a predictable pattern of poor surf conditions. For a spot that is fairly consistent, a blank run like this is a bit of a shocker, but forecasts can change. For now, I'd leave the boards in the car.

Rusty.

Read more