Third Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s on the table for Third Reef over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the start of this period is pretty grim. We’ve got a bit of a lull to get through before anything worth paddling out for shows up. For the first few days, from Monday the 14th through to Tuesday the 15th, it's a write-off. The wind is a fresh cross-onshore, the swell is short-period and disorganised, and the energy reading is only around 484 to 688 (moderate wave energy), but with that lumpy, choppy surface, it's not going to be fun. The water temp is 59°F, which is pretty average for this time of year, so no shock there.

Now, things start to look up on Wednesday the 16th. The morning is still a bit junky, but by Wednesday afternoon, we see a proper window of opportunity. The wind drops to glassy conditions from the ESE at just 3 mph. The swell fills in at a clean 7 ft from the NW with an 8-second period, and the energy jumps to 969 (moderate wave energy). That’s a solid session on the cards – clean, head-high-plus waves with no wind messing them up. This is the standout of the whole outlook, no question.

Thursday the 17th morning still offers some clean waves with a light cross-off breeze, though the swell drops to 4 ft. It’s still rideable, but not as punchy as the day before. After that, from Thursday afternoon through to the end of the week and into the next, the swell drops right off. We’re looking at small, weak, long-period SW groundswell between 2 ft and 3 ft. Periods are long (16-19 seconds), which suggests some shape but very little power. Winds are mostly light to moderate cross-on or onshore, so it’s a frustrating run of marginal conditions. The energy values hover around 300-700 (weak to moderate wave energy) – nothing to get excited about.

Jump ahead to Sunday the 20th and Monday the 21st, the cross-onshore wind picks up again, making a mess of things. Keep the boards in the car for those days.

We get another glimpse of hope on Tuesday the 22nd afternoon. Glassy conditions return with a 5 ft NW swell, 9-second period, and energy at 761 (moderate wave energy). It’s a repeat of the Wednesday session but a touch smaller. Definitely worth a look if you can sneak away.

The following week gets a bit more interesting towards the end. Monday the 28th morning has clean conditions with a cross-off breeze and a small 2 ft SW swell, but it’s not exactly firing. Then, Tuesday the 29th morning brings a bigger pulse – 7 ft from the NW with a 10-second period and a very high energy reading of 1473 (strong wave energy). That’s a lot of water moving, but the wind is a light cross-onshore, so it’ll have a bit of texture. This one is really only for the experienced crew – that size over 8 ft on a reef setup is serious business.

So, to sum it up: your best bets are Wednesday afternoon the 16th and Tuesday afternoon the 22nd. The 16th is the pick of the bunch – glassy, solid, and clean. The 29th morning offers the biggest swell, but it’s not as clean and it’s for experts only. Crowds at Third Reef can be an issue sometimes, so keep that in mind if you’re heading out on the better days.

Stay stoked.

\- Rusty

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