Tippers Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the table for Tippers over the next couple of weeks.

First off, I gotta be straight with you – the next week and a half is pretty flat and uninspiring. We’re looking at a long stretch of small, weak, and often messy conditions. The water is sitting at a very warm 72°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, but that’s about the only thing that’s pumping.

The best window by far, and the only real standout, is the final weekend of August and into the very start of September. Specifically, Saturday the 29th of August into Sunday the 30th of August is where the energy finally shows up. We’ll see a solid pulse of SSW swell, hitting around 4 ft to 5 ft. The combined wave energy jumps right up into the strong range (1139 on Saturday morning), which is a massive change from the weak dribble we’ve been looking at. The period is a decent 16 to 18 seconds, so it’s a proper groundswell. That’s going to bring some real shape and power, especially for a reef like Tippers.

What’s key here is that the wind is forecast to be light and offshore from the WSW, which will keep the surface clean. That’s a major positive. The swell direction is SSW, which is a bit off the optimum SW we’d want, but with that much energy and a good offshore wind, it’ll still offer some fun, lined-up waves. It’s a marginal call for the most part, but these two days are the best on offer.

Before that, from Monday the 18th all the way through to Friday the 28th of August, it’s a real grind. The swell is tiny, mostly under 3 ft, with weak energy (often under 300 or 400) and a mix of onshore and cross-onshore winds. It’s just not worth paddling out for. You’ll mostly be fighting small, choppy lumps. The morning of Wednesday the 19th and the afternoon of Saturday the 22nd have a tiny bit of bump, but it’s still marginal at best.

Then after that late-August spike, Tuesday the 1st of September sees the energy drop back down, with the swell fading to about 3 ft and the wind turning cross-onshore, chopping it up again.

So, here’s the bottom line: wait for the end of the month. Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th of August are your best bet. The swell is in the 4 ft to 5 ft range, which is fun for intermediates but not too big for a beginner to handle if they’re up for a challenge. The offshore wind will make it clean. The rest of the period is a write-off, so don’t bother. That’s just how it goes sometimes.

Rusty.

Read more