The Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what’s on offer for The Reef. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, so let’s get into it.

Right off the bat, we’ve got some swell on the way, but don’t get too excited just yet. Tuesday the 25th kicks off with a small, short-period 4ft swell from the WNW, period a measly 7 seconds. The energy reading is only 173 (weak). The saving grace is a glassy south-southwest wind, so it’s clean but pretty average. That’s about it for the first few days – the combination of onshore wind and messy conditions makes for poor surf through Wednesday, Thursday, and into the weekend. There’s a lot of strong wind in the water with onshore and cross-shore stuff messing it up.

Now, hold onto your boards. On Friday the 28th morning, we get a real taste of what The Reef can do. A clean 8ft swell from the WNW, period stretches to 11 seconds, giving it proper groundswell power. The combined energy jumps to a strong 1570 (moderate to strong). With a light NNE wind, it’s cross-offshore and glassy. That’s the standout window – excellent surf but it’s hefty at 8ft, so only the experienced crew should be out there. The crowd situation is “often”, so expect company.

After that, the wind swings back cross-shore and freshens up. We get some rideable swell through the end of August and into the first week of September, but it’s always fighting lumpy, cross-shore wind. There’s a bit of a pulse around the 1st of September with 8ft NNW swell and 11-second period, but that 30 km/h north cross-breeze keeps it from being clean.

The real highlight, though, is shaping up for the second week. On Monday the 7th of September afternoon, we see a long-period 5ft swell from the west with a period of 21 seconds and a strong energy reading of 2323 (strong). That’s very long period, and on a reef setup, it’s going to draw some beautiful, walling lines – but expect long lulls between sets. Then, on Tuesday the 8th of September morning, it really hits: a solid 12ft NW swell with 14-second period and energy at 5085 (very strong). That’s big, powerful water and only for the experts. Wind is moderate cross-shore, so it’s not perfect, but the power will be there. This is the big one to circle on your calendar, but keep in mind it’s still a week and a half out, so treat it as a promising but not locked-in call.

To wrap it up: The only real standouts are Friday the 28th August morning for a clean, powerful session, and that very long period west swell on Monday the 7th and Tuesday the 8th of September. Everything else is just waiting on a better wind window.

Rusty.

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