Tongo Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, surfers, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s on the menu for Tongo Reef. This is an advanced reef break, and it’s looking like it’s going to be a waiting game for the best of it. We’ve got a stretch of mostly small, short-period swell early on, so don’t expect any fireworks for the first few days. The water’s a balmy 79.3°, which is far warmer than normal for this time of year, so you can leave the thick rubber at home.

The opening days, Monday the 3rd through Wednesday the 5th, are pretty lackluster. We’re looking at chest-high, 4.6ft to 2.9ft swell, but it’s coming in at a short, punchy 8 seconds, which will make it feel pretty messy and won't push through the reef with any authority. Winds are cross-offshore, which is okay, but with that weak, short-period energy, it’s just going to be a lot of work for not much reward. This is more of a paddle-around-and-get-frustrated kind of vibe.

Then, heading into the end of the week and the weekend, things start to get more interesting. Thursday the 6th sees the period stretch out to 16-17 seconds, but the size drops right off to under 3 feet. The energy is starting to build though, with the combined swell energy pushing into the mid-600s and 700s. By Friday the 7th, we have a bit more size at 3.9ft, with a long 15-second period, and the energy is up there in the 700s. The winds ease to a gentle breeze, and the conditions are looking clean. This is where it starts to get fun. Saturday the 8th morning looks like the pick of this first window: glassy conditions with a gentle offshore breeze and a clean 3.6ft of SW groundswell with a 14-second period. This will have some push to it. Saturday afternoon and Sunday are a bit of a letdown, as the size and period back off.

The second week starts to show some promising long-period swell on the charts, but it’s wrapped in a lot of average conditions. The combined energy readings get seriously strong, hitting four-digit figures like the 1072 on Monday the 10th afternoon and a big 1236 on Friday the 14th morning. That's the ocean telling you there's serious power out there. But the size stays moderate at 2.9ft to 4.6ft, and the wind just won't give us a proper offshore. It’s mostly a cross-off breeze, which keeps the surface clean, but it’s not ideal.

There’s a noteworthy jump on the 11th of August, where the period drops to 9 seconds as the direction swings more SSE. That’s a different, more wind-swell-like energy. But then, from the 13th onward, we’re back into a strong, long-period SW groundswell. These long-period swells are the ones you want at a reef like Tongo, as they’ll line up nicely on the point. The Friday the 14th looks like the standout of this whole stretch. We have 4.6ft of SW swell with a 16-second period and energy in the 1200s. That’s a proper swell. It’s still cross-off, but with that much energy and a long period, it’s going to be powerful and well-defined. It'll be big for the reef, so this is strictly for the experts.

A similar pulse is on the cards for Tuesday the 18th, with conditions looking similar: 4.6ft of SW swell, 15-second period, and energy around the 1000-1100 mark. But those are a week and a half away. They look promising, but the long-range call is always less certain. The middle of the second week, from the 13th to the 17th, is a mix of these moderate-size, long-period pulses with that persistent cross-off wind. It won't be the cleanest, but there will be waves.

So, for the standout, I’m calling Friday the 14th. It’s got the best combo of solid size, long-period groundswell, and strong energy to make Tongo Reef properly alive. Saturday the 8th morning is your other, more near-term chance for a clean, glassy session, but it'll be smaller.

Read more