Tippers Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer.

Straight up, it’s a tough run for the next couple of weeks. We’re looking at a long stretch of small, pretty weak surf that’s mostly blown out or onshore. The first solid sign of something better doesn't show up until the end of the month, but even then it’s just marginal.

The story starts on Thursday the 20th of August at Tippers. It’s a reef break, consistent, and usually a good beginner spot. But right now, we’ve got a 3ft SSW swell with a 14-second period, and the wind is on it from the SW. Combined energy is only 334 (weak). It’s just poor conditions. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The whole first week is grim. Friday the 21st and Saturday the 22nd are still marginal at best, with the swell dropping to 2ft to 3ft, and the wind keeps swinging onshore or cross-onshore. The energy stays weak, never breaking 400 (moderate). We’re looking at a gap of nearly a week here with nothing worth paddling out for.

The second week doesn’t get much better. From Sunday the 24th through to Thursday the 28th, we’ve got a persistent SW swell, but it’s small—2ft to 3ft—and the wind is mostly cross-onshore, making things choppy. The energy picks up a bit on the 27th and 28th, hitting 569 and 662 (moderate), but the wave comment is still ‘poor’ or ‘marginal.’ The period stretches out to 19 seconds on the 28th, which is a long period groundswell, but on a reef like Tippers, that can actually make it a bit too straight and tricky.

The best of the bunch, if you can call it that, looks like Saturday the 29th of August. The morning has a 3ft SSW swell, 17-second period, and the wind is light and onshore from the WSW. The energy hits 790 (moderate). The afternoon improves a touch: 4ft from the SSW, 16 seconds, and the energy climbs to 963 (moderate). It’s still only a 2/10 score, but it’s the most energy we’ve seen all period. The wind stays light, so it might be clean enough for a beginner-friendly session. The crowd is ‘sometimes,’ so you might have company.

After that, it fades again. Sunday the 30th drops back to 4ft, and the energy falls to 657. The first week of September is back to small, weak, and onshore. A 3ft S swell on the 4th of September is the last marginal note, with a short 11-second period and weak energy of 475.

Overall, with the swell being small and the wind mostly onshore, Tippers is a reef that’s not really offering much. For the experienced surfer, there’s nothing here to get excited about. For a beginner, the 29th of August afternoon is your best bet, but even then, keep expectations low.

Rusty.

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