The Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s break it down. The start is a rough one, but stick with me – there’s a couple of real good ones if you wait.

Right now, The Reef is getting hammered by a fresh north wind, cross-shore, and the water’s about 68°, which is normal for this time of year. The swell is there, but the wind is ruining it. Monday the 31st through to Thursday the 3rd of September is a washout – lumpy, cross-chop, and poor surf. Not worth paddling out. The combined energy is moderate (328) but the wind is just nasty.

Friday the 4th of September morning cleans up a little with a light cross-off breeze and a clean face, but the swell is tiny at 2ft from the WNW. It’s surfable but not exciting. The energy drops to 112. If you’re really jonesing, you could get a few little ones.

Saturday the 5th of September morning has a long-period groundswell rolling in at 16 seconds from the NW, but only 2ft. The energy is moderate (310) and the wind is gentle, so it’s clean, but the size is just too small to get stoked about. The afternoon gets messy again.

Now, here’s the standout. Sunday the 6th of September morning. This is the one. The wind goes dead calm – glassy – and the swell jumps to 5ft from the NNW with a solid 12-second period. The combined energy is strong at 651. The water is clean, the waves have shape, and it’s a reef break that’s fairly consistent. This is the best session on offer. It’s a little too big for beginners, but for anyone with some experience, this is going to be a morning to remember. The afternoon swings onshore, so get it early.

After that, Monday the 7th of September morning has a clean, light offshore breeze but only 3ft from the WNW. The period is long at 14 seconds, so there’s energy, but the size is lacking. Tuesday the 8th is marginal. Wednesday the 9th of September morning is glassy again but the swell is short-period (6 seconds) and only 4ft – ordinary conditions.

The second week gets more interesting. Sunday the 13th of September morning has a light cross-off breeze and clean 4ft from the NNW. It’s not huge, but it’s rideable. Monday the 14th of September morning is glassy with 3ft from the WNW – clean, small, but fun for a longboard.

Then Tuesday the 15th of September. This is the big one. The swell hits 7ft from the NW with a 14-second period. The combined energy is massive at 1638. The wind is light and offshore from the NE. This is excellent surf, but it’s only for experienced surfers – 7ft is heavy, and The Reef is a reef break. If you’re solid, this is a serious session. The afternoon gets a bit cross-onshore, so the morning window is everything.

Crowds are likely at The Reef, especially on a Sunday or Tuesday morning with good conditions. It’s a fairly consistent spot, so it won’t be empty. The direction is NW, which is the optimum for this break, so the waves will line up nicely.

If you’re not an expert, the Sunday the 6th of September morning is your best bet – clean, glassy, 5ft, and plenty of energy. For the big dogs, Tuesday the 15th of September morning is the one to circle on the calendar. Everything else is either too small, too windy, or too messy.

Rusty.

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