Toquay Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a proper look at what's coming our way.

The opening of the window is a mixed bag, but there’s a proper pulse of solid south-west groundswell on the way, and if you time it right, we’re in for some clean, punchy waves at Toquay Reef. The water temp is sitting at 56°, which is bang on average for this time of year—nothing unusual there.

Let’s start with this Saturday the 22nd. The morning is looking marginal with a cross-off wind, but the swell jumps up through the day. By Saturday afternoon, the swell is a chunky 13 ft from the SW, with a 14-second period. That’s a serious amount of energy (8,482) and the wind is cross, so it’ll be a bit of a handful—definitely one for the experienced crew only.

Sunday the 23rd is the real standout in the first week. We’ve got a beautifully clean morning with a light north-west offshore breeze, swell around 5 ft from the SW and a 14-second period. It’s got that real long-period groundswell feel to it—proper lines. By Sunday afternoon, it backs off slightly to 5 ft but the period stretches out to 16 seconds, with a glassy offshore wind. That’s as good as it gets for a reef setup like this. The energy is still ripping (1,735) and the waves will be holding their shape perfectly. If you can get out there Sunday, that’s your session.

Now, after that, things go pretty quiet. The swell drops right off into Monday and Tuesday, with smaller waves and less favourable winds. Through the middle of the week, we’re looking at mostly cross-onshore breezes and dropping swell—nothing to get excited about. There’s a couple of clean mornings but the size is not there.

Then we get another pulse building from Friday the 28th. Friday morning looks promising with a moderate offshore breeze, 5 ft swell and a very long 17-second period. That’s that deep ocean groundswell. The energy is solid (1,174). Saturday the 29th holds similar but the wind is a bit more cross-off.

Now, the best of the second week is shaping up for Monday the 31st of August and Tuesday the 1st of September. Monday morning has a solid 5 ft SW swell, 14-second period and a clean offshore wind from the WNW. The energy is pumping (1,480). It’s a strong, consistent option for experienced surfers. Then Tuesday the 1st of September is a beauty—morning has 6 ft, 16-second period with a light cross-off, but the real gem is Tuesday afternoon: glassy conditions, 5 ft SW swell, 15-second period, and that six-figure energy (1,006). It’ll be clean as a whistle, and the reef will be handling that long-period swell beautifully.

Later in the week, the wind turns a bit fresh on Wednesday the 2nd and Thursday the 3rd, but the swell stays rideable. By the following weekend (5th and 6th of September), the swell really kicks again. Saturday the 5th sees 6 ft to 6 ft, but it’s onshore. Then Sunday the 6th—hold onto your board. The morning shows a massive 20 ft SW swell with a 16-second period and clean conditions. That is colossal energy (24,613). That is too big for most, and the reef will be a washing machine. Only the most experienced and well-prepared should even consider it. The afternoon backs off to a still sizeable 10 ft with a 17-second period, which is a bit more manageable but still heavy.

If you’re a beginner, the only real window is the smaller, cleaner days around Monday the 24th of August afternoon or Thursday the 27th of August, but the swell is tiny. This is not a beginner-friendly run.

Crowds at Toquay Reef can be an issue, especially on these standout days, so get in early or be patient.

Rusty.

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