Third Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's look at the surf ahead for Third Reef.

The next sixteen days at Third Reef are a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got some solid long-period energy rolling in at times, but the wind is gonna be the main character for much of the first week, keeping things messy. The real highlights are tucked away in the middle and later parts of the forecast, offering some clean windows.

The run starts off rough. Saturday, August 29th, is a write-off. We’ve got a 4ft SSW swell with a pumping 18-second period, so there’s plenty of energy (combined energy 972 in the morning, 1023 in the afternoon), but a strong cross-onshore wind is just trashing the surface. It's choppy and lumpy, not worth paddling out. Sunday the 30th isn’t much better – the swell drops a touch and the wind stays cross-onshore, keeping conditions poor.

Monday the 31st and Tuesday September 1st see the swell slowly fade. The wind eases off, but it’s still cross or cross-onshore. Tuesday afternoon on September 1st gives a brief moment of relief with a glassy surface on a tiny 2ft SSW swell, but it’s pretty weak (271 combined energy). Wednesday the 2nd is a write-off again with messy winds.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. For the first standout, look at Thursday morning, September 3rd. The swell bumps up to 3ft from the SSW with a very long 19-second period. The wind goes glassy from the WNW. This is the kind of setup that makes Third Reef worth the drive. The energy is moderate (806), but with that period and clean conditions, the waves should have real shape and power. This is the best call for the first week.

The afternoon of the 3rd gets ruined by a fresh cross-onshore breeze, and the whole weekend of September 5th and 6th looks like more of the same chop and wind.

We then hit a gap of a few days with nothing recommended until the next real highlight. That comes on Wednesday afternoon, September 9th. The swell jumps to a solid 5ft from the NW with a 12-second period. This is a bigger swell, getting into expert territory at that size, but the key here is the wind: it goes glassy from the WNW. The energy is strong (968). If you’re an experienced surfer, this is the session to circle on the calendar.

The good conditions keep rolling. The morning of Thursday, September 10th is glassy again, with a 3ft SSW, 17-second swell (883 energy). Very clean, very lined up. Friday afternoon the 11th is also glassy, with a similar 3ft SSW, 16-second swell.

The final standout is Saturday morning, September 12th. It’s 3ft from the SW, 14-second period, with a light cross-offshore wind from the SSE. The comment says "clean," and that’s exactly what it looks like (728 energy). A nice, clean option to close out the forecast window with some quality waves.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a write-off until the glassy morning of September 3rd. The best waves on offer are the bigger, glassy sessions on September 9th afternoon and the clean morning of September 12th. Don't fight the wind; wait for those windows.

Rusty.

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