Tongo Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what we’ve got coming up on the calendar. It’s not going to be a classic run, that’s for sure. There’s a bit of a wait before we see anything decent, and even then, it’s all about picking the right moment.

We’re looking at a pretty quiet start. The first solid surf recommendation pops up on Monday, July 13th, but before that, there’s a stretch of days where the swell is on offer but the quality’s just not there due to questionable conditions. From Wednesday the 8th right through to Sunday the 12th, the waves are there—around 3 ft to 5 ft from the SSW—but the forecast keeps flagging them as “marginal.” It’s a lot of cross-off wind around 12-16 mph, which keeps things clean but just doesn’t light the fire. The combined swell energy sits between 598 and 1192, which is moderate to strong, but without the right timing, it’s not worth paddling out for.

The standout window, and the real bright spot, is Monday July 13th. Now this is where we get a genuine pick. On the Monday morning we’ve got 4 ft of SSW swell, period a solid 14 seconds—that’s proper groundswell, plenty of push. The wind is a gentle 9 mph from the SSE, cross-off, and the conditions are clean. The combined energy is 514, moderate, but it’s the right kind of energy for Tongo Reef. The water temperature is a balmy 79°, which is over 7° warmer than normal for this time of year—very unusual, makes a big difference to comfort in the water. Tongo Reef is an exposed reef break, advanced only, and it’s fairly consistent. The optimum direction is S, and we’re getting SSW, so it’s slightly off the ideal but still well-exposed. Crowds can show up sometimes, so keep an eye out. The Monday afternoon also looks clean with 3 ft and 14-second period, still good, but the morning is the main event. If you’re after the best surf of this window, that’s your session.

After that, things drop off again. Tuesday the 14th is a write-off with a messy cross-shore wind and weak 2 ft swell. From the 15th through the 18th, we get a mix of 3 ft to 5 ft SSW/S swell, with periods dropping to 12-14 seconds. The wind stays cross-off and light to moderate, so the waves stay clean, but the scores just aren't there to call any of them standout. The 17th and 18th have decent conditions—light breeze, clean—but the swell’s on the small side, around 3-4 ft. It’s surfable, but nothing to get excited about.

The final week, from the 19th through the 23rd, gets even smaller and less reliable. Swell drops to 2-2 ft from the SW, with a few pulses. The combined energy falls into the 400s, which is weak. The only thing that might catch your eye is on Wednesday July 22nd, where we get a sudden spike of 5-5 ft from the SSE, but the period crashes to just 8 seconds—that’s short-period windswell, not the kind of wave that’s going to line up nicely on a reef. Thursday the 23rd is the last day in the forecast, with 5-6 ft from the SSE and a period of 10-12 seconds, combined energy up to 924. The wind is gentle to moderate cross-off. It might be the best of the second week, but it’s over a week away and not certain.

Overall, if you’re patient, the Monday July 13th morning at Tongo Reef is your best bet. The rest is mostly wait-and-see with a few small, clean windows.

Rusty.

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