Third Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. Rusty here.

Alright, folks, it’s a pretty quiet start for this region. The first real window of interest doesn’t show up until later in the period, but when it does, it comes with some promise.

The standout session for the whole outlook is on Tuesday afternoon, 1st of September at Third Reef. We’re looking at solid 5 ft of swell from the northwest, and the wind goes dead glass with the WSW dropping to zero mph. That’s a major positive. The combined energy of all swells is sitting at a healthy 697 (moderate wave energy) and the period is 11 seconds. This is going to be clean, good-quality surf. It’s a reef break, but it’s only rated for intermediate ability. Because the swell direction (NW) lines up with the optimum direction for the spot, expect well-shaped lines. This spot can draw a crowd at times, so be ready to share.

There’s another glassy window on Thursday afternoon, 3rd of September. Once again, Third Reef shows glassy conditions with 3 ft of SSW swell at a very long 19-second period. That’s classic groundswell energy, and with the combined energy at 829 (moderate to strong), this will have real push. But with a long period like that on a reef break, it could be a bit more straight, though it should still offer nice, lined-up waves. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no dramas there.

Monday afternoon, 7th of September, also looks promising with glassy conditions and 2 ft of SSW swell at 16 seconds. The combined energy is 328 (moderate). This is a smaller, cleaner option for the start of the second week.

Be aware there are long stretches of poor conditions before those highlights, with mostly cross-onshore winds and marginal surf. The first week is pretty bleak, honestly. From Tuesday the 24th through to the end of August, the forecast is littered with scores of zero and poor surf conditions. There’s a jump in swell around the 29th of August to 4 ft, but the wind is onshore and messy, so it’s not a recommendable window. We also see a big spike in swell on the 4th and 5th of September, with heights up to 8 ft, but those come with strong winds making it messy – that’s for the experts only, if anyone.

Stick to those two glassy afternoons (1st and 3rd September) for the best chance of a clean wave.

Rusty.

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