Third Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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

Right off the bat, we’ve got a bit of a slow start. The first few days are looking pretty average thanks to persistent cross-onshore winds kicking up the surface. The swell is small, around 2ft to 3ft, and coming from the WNW with a decent period, but the wind is just making it lumpy and choppy. It’s a tough paddle for not much reward. The water temp is sitting at 55°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The first real glimmer of hope comes on Sunday the 19th in the afternoon. The wind drops right off to glassy, and we’ve got a 3ft swell from the SW with a 17-second period. That’s a proper long-period groundswell rolling in, and the combined energy is sitting at a solid 854. That’s moderate energy, but the clean conditions will make it feel much better than the size suggests. This is the standout of the first week – a true window of clean, lined-up waves.

Monday the 20th morning keeps that glassy feel with a 2ft SW swell, but the energy drops off a bit. Still, if you can get out early, it’ll be worth it. After that, we’re back into a bit of a rut with cross-onshore winds and choppy conditions through the middle of the week.

Looking further out, the second week shows a definite uptick in size, but the wind stays stubbornly cross-onshore from the NW for most of it. The swell builds from around 3ft to 6ft by the 28th, and the combined energy gets strong, hitting 1668 on Tuesday the 28th morning. But with that fresh cross-onshore wind, it’s going to be lumpy and tough. The size is getting into intermediate territory, but the quality just isn’t there for paddle surfing – it’s looking more like a kite session.

The real late-bloomer is Thursday the 30th afternoon. The swell bumps up to 7ft from the NW with a short 8-second period, but the wind goes light and cross-onshore. The energy is strong (1045), but the short period means it’ll be a bit crumbly.

Finally, the very last day, Friday the 31st, is the one to circle on the calendar. Morning brings a 5ft NW swell with clean, cross-off winds from the S. That’s the best combination of size and clean conditions in the whole window. Then in the afternoon, it goes dead calm and glassy with a 3ft SSW swell. That’s a beautiful end to the outlook.

So, to sum it up: the absolute best windows are Sunday the 19th afternoon for clean, glassy lines, and Friday the 31st for the best combo of size and clean conditions. The rest of the time is a bit of a battle with the wind.

Rusty.

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