Tongo Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. We’ve got a solid run of south-west groundswell lining up for Tongo Reef over the next couple of weeks. It’s not going to be perfect every day, but there are some real gems hidden in the mix if you know when to paddle out.

The water is sitting at 77° right now—that’s 8° warmer than normal for this time of year, so you’ll be in for a proper tropical bath. Tongo Reef is an advanced-level reef break, exposed to the south swell, and it works best when the swell comes from the south. It's fairly consistent here, and crowds are only sometimes an issue—worth the trip.

The standout moment arrives on Sunday the 9th, first light. We’ve got a little 3ft SSW groundswell with a period of 14 seconds pushing through, and the wind is a light 6 mph from the southeast—just about glassy offshore. The combined swell energy is sitting at 581 (moderate), but with that clean wind and a proper long-period groundswell, Tongo will be offering up some real nice lines over the reef. This is the pick of the whole outlook, no question about it.

Monday the 10th isn’t quite as clean—wind swings to a moderate SSE cross-off at 12–16 mph. The morning has 3ft SSW swell (14 seconds) and energy at 780 (moderate), but it’s marginal. The afternoon bumps the period to 18 seconds and energy jumps to 1034 (strong), yet the wind keeps things a bit bumpy. Worth a look if you’re desperate, but don’t expect Sunday’s glass.

Tuesday the 11th is a write-off—cloudy, gusty cross-off winds, and the swell drops to 2–3ft. Energy falls to 615–805. Not worth getting out of bed for.

Wednesday the 12th sees a shift—swell swings more SSE with a short, choppy period of 7–8 seconds and 5ft. Combined energy is 370–472 (weak to moderate). This is windswell junk—better for kites than paddles at a reef setup.

Thursday the 13th brings back some hope. Morning has 4ft SW groundswell at 18 seconds—that’s a proper long-period pulse—with energy at 1149 (strong). Wind is a gentle 9 mph cross-off from the southeast. The afternoon is similar but a touch bigger at 4ft, energy hitting 1307 (strong). Still cross-off, but the power is there. If you’re an experienced surfer, this is your next best window after Sunday.

Friday the 14th is the biggest of the run: 5ft SW swell, 16-second period, and energy at 1458 (strong) in the morning, 1346 in the afternoon. That’s expert territory—over 8ft and pushing into legit groundswell. Winds are cross-off at 9–12 mph. Not clean, but for the strong swimmers and reef-readers, it’ll be on.

From Saturday the 15th onwards, the swell slowly winds down. Still 4–4ft SW groundswell through the weekend with energy in the 991–783 range (moderate). Winds stay cross-off, never truly offshore again. The patterns are all marked as marginal—tide or wind just not locking in perfectly.

Into the second week, from Tuesday the 19th, the swell drops to 3ft and energy falls to 526–588. Late on the 20th through the 23rd, the direction shifts to SSE with very short periods of 8–9 seconds—weak windswell. Energy hovers around 380–470. Only real heads-up is Sunday the 23rd afternoon: a last little 2ft SW pulse at 18 seconds, energy 375—just a whisper of the old groundswell.

Bottom line: Sunday 9th morning is the absolute standout—light offshore, clean, beautiful groundswell. Thursday 13th morning is a close second for the bigger, more powerful set waves, though not quite as clean. After that, it’s a waiting game until the next proper swell.

That’s the story from Tongo Reef. Keep your eyes on the horizon and your wax on.

Rusty.

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