Third Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Third Reef over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a bit of a rough patch. The first few days are looking pretty average to poor. Friday the 31st and Saturday the 1st are a write-off with cross-onshore winds and choppy conditions. The swell is there, but the wind is just ruining it. Sunday the 2nd and Monday the 3rd see the swell building, with combined energy readings between 674 and 1089 (moderate to strong), but the wind stays cross-onshore, keeping the surface lumpy and messy. Not worth paddling out for.

The first real glimmer of hope comes on Tuesday the 4th of August. The morning is still a bit cross-onshore, but the afternoon is where it’s at. We get a glassy, clean surface with a 5ft swell from the NW, period of 9 seconds, and a combined energy of 514 (moderate). The water temp is about average for this time of year. This is your best window in the first week—clean, rideable waves, and not too crowded, though it can get a bit busy here sometimes. Wednesday the 5th also has a glassy afternoon with 4ft, but the energy drops a bit.

Then we hit another slump. From Thursday the 6th through to the 10th, the swell drops off and the winds are mostly cross-onshore or light, with poor to marginal conditions. There’s a glassy moment on Sunday the 9th, but the swell is only 3ft, so it’s pretty small.

Now, the standout for the whole forecast is on Tuesday the 13th of August. That afternoon, we’ve got a dead calm, glassy ocean. The swell is 3ft from the SSW with a very long period of 16 seconds—that’s proper groundswell. The combined energy is 786 (moderate), and these long-period waves will wrap in nicely, offering clean, lined-up sets. It’s a reef break, so it’ll handle that long period well. This is your best bet, but it’s over a week out, so keep an eye on it.

The 14th and 15th see a bit more size but with cross-onshore winds again, so the quality won’t be there.

Overall, the pick of the bunch is the 4th of August afternoon for the best combo of size and glass, and the 13th of August afternoon for the cleanest, most promising conditions even if a bit smaller. The rest of the time, you’re battling the wind or flat spells.

This is Rusty, signing off.

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