Third Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

We’re looking at a real mixed bag over the next couple of weeks. The main show is a reef break that needs a specific swell direction to really work, and it’s going to take a while for things to line up. There’s a decent stretch of small, messy surf early on, but the real standout is a big pulse that shows up in the second week. It’s a waiting game.

First real chance to get wet is this Thursday afternoon, the 3rd of September. Third Reef is showing a 6ft swell out of the WNW with a period of 10 seconds. The wind is dead flat, glassy conditions. The water temp is sitting at 57°, which is about 1° cooler than normal for this time of year, so not a major anomaly. This is a solid window for a session, but the energy is moderate (1026). This is your best bet for the early going.

Friday morning the 4th sees a drop-off in size, down to 3ft, with a longer period of 18 seconds from the SSW. The wind is light and cross, so it’s not clean. The afternoon’s a bit better with offshore wind, but the swell is still small. The energy is strong (1255 and 1079), but the conditions are only marginal.

From Saturday the 5th through to Wednesday the 9th, we’re in a dry spell. The swell drops to under 3ft, the wind turns onshore or cross-onshore, and the energy fades from moderate (947) down to weak (157). The surf is poor to marginal. Not worth the paddle.

There’s a slight lift on Thursday the 10th, with a 3ft SSW swell and a 17-second period, but the wind is still cross-onshore. The energy is moderate (484-562). It’s only a marginal call.

Now, for the big one. Friday the 11th of September, a major pulse arrives. Third Reef gets a 10ft swell from the SSW, with a period of 13 seconds. The combined energy is massive, hitting 2699. That’s a lot of water moving. The wind is light and offshore in the morning. This is big, powerful stuff. At 10ft, this is for experienced surfers only. The period is short enough that it should still have some shape, but it’s a serious, powerful wave. This is the standout for the whole outlook, but it’s a long-range call, so keep an eye on it.

After that, Saturday the 12th and Sunday the 13th are blown out by strong cross-onshore winds, with the swell dropping back to 6ft to 6ft. Not good.

Monday the 14th of September afternoon is a little glass-off with a 4ft NW swell and a 9-second period. The energy is weak (354). It’s a small, clean wave, but nothing special.

Tuesday the 15th afternoon is another glassy window with a tiny 3ft NW swell. Good for a longboard, but not much else.

The real hope for the far end of the forecast is Thursday the 18th of September. The morning is glassy, with a 2ft SW swell, a very long 21-second period, and an energy of 663. The afternoon is also glassy, with the swell bumping up to 3ft and the energy jumping to 1121. The very long period means this is a groundswell, and it will be best at Third Reef, a reef setup. The waves will be clean, well-shaped, and have a lot of energy for their size. This is another promising, long-range standout.

For the rest of the period, the 15th, 16th, and 17th have small, glassy windows but the swell is tiny. It’s a long wait between the big Friday the 11th and the Thursday the 18th.

Rusty out.

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