Tippers Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's coming our way for the next couple of weeks.

Well, to be honest, looking at the whole picture, it's not exactly firing. We're looking at a long stretch of small, weak, and often messy conditions. The early part of the outlook is pretty grim, and it stays marginal for a while before fading back to poor again. The wind is almost always from the wrong angle, messing up what little swell we get. There's a glimmer of something better around the third week of the month, but we've got some serious patience to exercise first.

Let’s start right at the beginning. The first few days from Friday the 11th through to the 15th are pretty much a write-off. We've got a 3ft SW groundswell with a long 15-second period on Friday afternoon, but a solid cross-onshore wind just kills it. The water is a notable 72°, which is 4° warmer than usual for this time of year. The energy is weak to moderate at best. The wave comment on the file says it all: "poor surf conditions". The next few days don't get any better—similar tiny swells, always with that cross or onshore wind.

Things start to look a tiny bit more interesting around Wednesday the 16th. The swell direction swings a little more south-southwest, and the energy picks up to a moderate level. We’re still only looking at 3ft, but the period is a very long 17 seconds. The wind is light and onshore in the morning, which is not ideal, but it’s not a total blowout. The comment calls it "marginal surf forecast" – and I agree. It’s surfable but you’ll be working for it. This marginal run continues through to Monday the 21st, with the energy building a bit. By Sunday the 20th, the energy is solid, the period stays long at 18 seconds, and the wind is light and onshore. The best of this lot looks like Sunday the 20th and Monday the 21st. The swell is 3ft out of the SW, but that long period (18 seconds) has some grunt. It's a reef break though, so those long-period lines should wrap in nicely, but it’s still a small wave. The crowds are listed as "sometimes" for Tippers, so you might have some company, but with waves this small, it shouldn't be a zoo. The water temp is still that pleasant 72°.

After that, it starts to slide back again. From Tuesday the 22nd to Thursday the 24th, the energy drops, the period shortens back to 14-15 seconds, and the wind stays cross-onshore. Back to "poor surf conditions". It stays like that through to the end of the period on Saturday the 26th.

Honestly, if you're desperate for a paddle, focus on that window from Sunday the 20th to Monday the 21st. The swell direction from the SW is a great match for the break. It’s not going to be epic, but it’ll be the cleanest and most energetic we see in this run. Don’t expect much before then.

Rusty

Read more