Tramandai Pier (Platforma) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – if you’re chasing waves at Tramandai Pier (Platforma) over the next couple of weeks, you’ll need patience. This is a beach/pier setup that’s inconsistent at the best of times, and the outlook is littered with days that are more frustration than fun. Most of the period is a write-off due to onshore winds, choppy conditions, or just plain poor surf. There are a few brief windows, but nothing you’d set your alarm for.

The water temperature is sitting at 59°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year – a solid 3°F below average, so that wetsuit is staying zipped.

Things kick off on Friday afternoon, 28 August, with a 6ft swell from the ENE and a 9-second period, but it’s cross-shore from the SSW at 12 mph, making for a moderate cross-chop. The combined swell energy is moderate at 476, and the comment says it all: poor surf conditions. Not worth the paddle.

Saturday morning, 29 August, has a cleaner window – light onshore wind from the SE at only 3 mph, with 4ft ENE swell at 8 seconds. Combined energy is still moderate (261), but the forecast is marginal, with questionable tide conditions. It’s the closest thing to a shot in the arm early, but only just. Saturday afternoon drops back to poor.

Sunday the 30th and Monday the 31st are a write-off – cross-onshore winds, chop building, and swell jumping to 8ft by Monday morning with combined energy of 563. Still poor.

Now, here’s the one standout, and it’s a wild one. Tuesday afternoon, 1 September, sees a big 13ft south swell rolling in with an 11-second period, accompanied by clean cross-offshore winds from the WSW at 22 mph. The combined wave energy is enormous at 3266. But – and it’s a big but – the forecast says the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. That’s expert-only territory, and even then, at a beach/pier setup that’s inconsistent, it could be a washing machine. For the brave and experienced, it’s the best on offer, but don’t expect it to be user-friendly.

Wednesday morning, 2 September, still has clean cross-offshore wind at 9 mph, with a 8ft SSE swell at 10 seconds and combined energy of 1177. Marginal, but better than most. Afternoon goes cross-onshore.

After that, from Thursday 3 September right through to the end of the outlook on 12 September, it’s mostly onshore winds, choppy seas, and poor conditions. A few clean mornings pop up – like Friday morning, 4 September, with a tiny 3ft ENE swell and cross-offshore wind – but the energy is weak (152) and the waves are ordinary. Not your day.

The long-range around 11–12 September has big swell again (12ft to 10ft, SSE/SE, combined energy in the thousands), but the onshore wind from the NE at 16–19 mph will make a mess of it. For kite surfers, that’s a different story – the beach setup and strong cross-onshore wind could be interesting, but for paddle surfing? Not worth it.

Bottom line: if you’re desperate, Tuesday afternoon 1 September is the only real standout, but only for experts. The rest is a waiting game.

– Rusty

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