Toquay Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the line for the next couple of weeks.

We’re looking at a solid run of surf, but it’s a bit of a mixed bag with the wind. The first real standout is Friday morning, August 7th at Toquay Reef. It’s not the biggest swell, coming in at 4ft from the SW, but that 16-second period means it’s a proper groundswell with some real grunt. The wind is light and offshore from the NW, so the reef is going to be clean as a whistle. The waves will have shape and power, even if the combined swell energy is moderate (575). The water temp is sitting at 56°, which is pretty average for the time of year, so you won’t be complaining about a freak cold snap.

Now, the real heavy hitter comes later. Thursday afternoon, August 13th, is the one for the experienced crew. The swell jumps to a solid 10ft from the SW, with a 15-second period, and the wind is a gentle cross-offshore breeze from the SW. This is a serious amount of water moving around – the combined energy hits a massive 5264. This is not for beginners; this is expert territory. The reef will handle that size, but you need to know what you’re doing.

The weekend before that, from Saturday, August 8th through to Monday, August 10th, gets a bit mixed. The wind is a persistent cross-offshore, which isn't terrible, but the swell quality is a bit questionable with the tide. On Monday afternoon, August 10th, the swell drops to 4ft but the period goes up to 17 seconds – that’s a very long-period groundswell. The energy is strong (1404), but it’s a bit of a gamble with the wind and tide alignment.

After the big day on the 13th, we see a steady drop-off. Friday, August 14th still has plenty of size (10ft in the morning, 8ft in the afternoon) and strong energy (4022 and 5056), but the wind shifts to a cross-offshore. The waves will be there, but not as clean as the peak day. By Saturday, August 15th, the wind turns cross-onshore and the quality drops off a cliff.

The following week, from Monday, August 17th onwards, the surf gets smaller and more inconsistent. You’ll see some clean, smaller days with offshore winds, like Wednesday, August 19th (2ft, 16-second period, light offshore NW wind), but it’s a real drop in energy. The Thursday, August 20th afternoon looks alright with a moderate offshore breeze and 3ft of clean SW swell. It’s a gentle end to the run.

Overall, the best bet is the clean, powerful Friday morning session on the 7th, and the big, heavy expert session on Thursday afternoon, August 13th.

Rusty.

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