Third Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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

The first couple of days are actually pretty promising, then we hit a long, ugly stretch of onshore junk before things clean up again in the second week. Keep your eyes on Tuesday afternoon and that far-off window around the 14th and 15th – those are the real standouts.

Tuesday morning, August 4th, kicks things off with some waist-to-chest high waves around 5 ft out of the NW. The combined energy is solid, sitting at 443 (moderate), and the 9-second period means it’s got a bit of push. The water’s running a bit colder than normal for this time of year, sitting at 55°F with a 3°F anomaly, so you’ll want a good steamer. The wind’s light and cross-off from the SSE at 6 mph, so it’ll be pretty clean. Not a bad way to start.

But the real gem is Tuesday afternoon, August 4th. The wind goes glassy, straight up WSW at just 3 mph, and you’re looking at 4 ft of NW swell. The wave energy is still moderate at 349, but that glassy surface is a major plus. That’s the session you wanna be in the water for.

Wednesday, August 5th, is a step down. The swell drops to 3 ft and the wind goes cross from the S at 6 mph. It’s marginal, with combined energy dropping to 247. Still rideable if you’re keen, but nothin’ to write home about. Thursday the 6th is a write-off – tiny, weak swell and onshore wind.

Then from Friday the 7th all the way through to Tuesday the 11th, it’s mostly poor. The wind is stuck cross-onshore from the NW or NNW, blowing 9 to 15 mph. The swell tries to build again – by Monday the 10th we’re seeing 7 ft of NW at 9 seconds, and combined energy hits 964 (moderate to strong) – but it’s all chopped up and messy. On Tuesday the 11th, the swell peaks at 8 ft with a huge energy reading of 1588 (strong), but again, the wind’s trash. That’s expert-only territory if you’re brave, but honestly, it looks more like a kitesurfing day than a paddle session.

Wednesday the 12th through Friday the 14th morning is still mostly marginal, with cross-onshore winds and chest-high NW swell in the 5 ft to 6 ft range. The energy stays moderate to strong.

Then, finally, the light at the end of the tunnel. Friday afternoon, August 14th, the wind goes glassy again. You’ve got 5 ft of NW swell, period stretching to 10 seconds, and a combined energy of 821 (moderate). The forecast calls for very good conditions. That’s a standout.

And Saturday, August 15th afternoon, is another beauty. The swell drops a bit to 3 ft, but it’s long-period SSW groundswell at 16 seconds, with a huge energy reading of 922 (strong). The wind is glassy from the NW at just 3 mph. Those long-period swells love a reef setup like Third Reef, and this one should produce some proper shaped waves, though the sets will be more spaced out.

Sunday the 16th afternoon keeps the run going – glassy, calm wind, 3 ft of SSW groundswell, period 16 seconds, and combined energy 781 (moderate). Another very good call. After that, Monday and Tuesday the 17th and 18th fade back to small and marginal, and Wednesday the 19th brings another pulse of short-period NW windswell with poor winds.

So, in short: Tuesday afternoon, August 4th, is your early call, and Friday afternoon the 14th through Sunday the 16th is the best run of clean, long-period surf in the second week. That’s what you wait for.

Rusty

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