Tongo Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Tongo Reef over the next couple of weeks.

The first few days are a bit of a washout, honestly. We’ve got some swell, but the quality is just not there – you’ll be looking at a lot of marginal surf, so don’t get your hopes up for the first week. There’s a real dry spell from Sunday the 19th right through to Thursday the 23rd, where the wave energy is weak to moderate, and the call is pretty much “poor surf conditions” or “marginal”. The wind is a cross-off, which is okay, but the swell is mixed up and the period is all over the place. Waist-to-chest high stuff, but not worth paddling out for.

Things start to get interesting on Friday the 24th of July. The morning sees some clouds, a gentle breeze from the SSE, and the swell starts to show some promise. We’re looking at a clean 3 ft swell from the SSW, with a combined energy of 974 (moderate). The period is a solid 21 seconds, which is a nice groundswell. This is a long-period wave, so it’ll be lining up well on the reef, but watch for those longer lulls between sets. The afternoon is similar, still clean, with a 3 ft SSW swell at 20 seconds and energy at 922. It’s a good day to get wet, but the real standout is coming.

Saturday the 25th of July is the pick of the fortnight. The morning is clear, with a light breeze from the SSE. The swell is 4 ft from the SW, with a period of 19 seconds and a combined energy of 1240 (strong). The afternoon is even better, with 5 ft of SW swell, 18-second period, and energy climbing to 1348 (strong). This is excellent for experienced surfers. The wind is gentle, the waves are clean, and the direction is perfect for the reef. The water temperature is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there. The crowds can be around sometimes, but on a session like this, it’s worth the company.

After that peak, the week of the 26th to the 30th stays solid but gets a bit more mixed. Sunday the 26th has 5 ft of SW swell, but the wind picks up, and the marginal tide conditions start to creep in – the energy is huge (1564 to 1826 – strong to very strong), but the quality isn’t the same as Saturday. Monday the 27th and Tuesday the 28th see the swell jump to 6 ft from the SW. That’s expert territory – too big for beginners, and the period is still long (16-17 seconds), so it’s a powerful, heavy reef wave. The wind stays cross-off, so it’s clean, but this is for the experienced crew only.

Wednesday the 29th of July drops back to 6 ft from the SSW, with energy at 1291 (strong) – another excellent morning for the advanced surfer. The last few days of the month and into August are smaller, with surf dropping to around 3 ft to 4 ft, and the energy fades into the moderate range. It’s still surfable, but nothing that’ll light your fire.

So, the one to circle on the calendar is Saturday, July 25th. Tongo Reef will be firing with clean, strong SW groundswell and light winds. Get in the water before the crowds pour in.

That’s your lot from me.
Rusty.

Read more