Tres Picos Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here. Look, I'm gonna level with you straight up – this stretch of coast is in a bit of a funk. The forecast shows nothing worth paddling out for until the early hours of Sunday, the 25th of August, and even then, it's a struggle. We're looking at a solid blank stretch before that.

From Sunday morning the 25th through to Wednesday morning the 28th, it's all small, weak, and messy. Swell heights are hovering around 1ft to 2ft from the SW, with periods mostly between 11 and 16 seconds, but the wind is a constant cross-on shore. The combined energy is weak, reading in the low hundreds (156 to 243), and the wave comment is "poor surf conditions" every time. It's just not worth it.

Now, things start to get a bit more interesting from Friday morning the 30th. The swell picks up properly, hitting 6ft from the SW with a 16-second period and combined energy jumping into the strong range (1759). That's a groundswell. The wind is still a light cross-on from the SSW, so it's not perfect, but it's manageable. Tres Picos is a beginner-friendly break and fairly exposed to the SW, which is the optimum direction. With the swell over 5ft, it's starting to push beyond what beginners will find comfortable. The water temperature is a very unusual 69°, a massive 7° warmer than average – you'll feel it. Crowds are only sometimes an issue here.

Friday afternoon holds similar size, around 7ft, with the same SW direction and a 15-second period. The combined energy is even stronger (1903). The wind stays light cross-on. It's marginal, but it's the best we've seen. Saturday morning the 31st drops slightly to 6ft, still SW, with a 14-second period and strong energy (1396). Again, light cross-on wind. This stretch from Friday the 30th to Saturday the 31st is the standout window, but it's for experienced surfers only as the swell is consistently over 5ft.

Then it fades. Sunday the 1st of September is smaller at 5ft, and the wind picks up to a moderate 15 mph on Sunday afternoon, chopping things up. Monday and Tuesday see the swell drop further, with shorter periods (8-9 seconds) and combined energy falling back to moderate levels. The wind does turn onshore from the WSW, which could clean things up a little, but the energy is gone. Wednesday the 3rd of September sees a new pulse of long-period SW swell (20 seconds) but at only 2ft-3ft – a tease of clean lines with light onshore wind, but tiny.

The best bet comes in around Thursday the 5th of September, with a strong pulse of SW swell. Thursday morning shows 6ft at a 17-second period, with combined energy rocketing to 1869. The wind is light cross-on. Thursday afternoon is even better: 6ft, same direction, 17-second period, and combined energy at 2127. The wind turns onshore, which is a bonus. This is another standout window, but again, the size puts it out of beginner territory.

Friday the 6th of September peaks at 8ft in the morning and 7ft in the afternoon, both from the SW with a 16-second period. This is expert-only stuff, with very strong energy (2801 and 2414). Wind is light to gentle cross-on. After that, it slowly winds down into the second week, with smaller, less consistent SW swell and mostly cross-on breezes. Nothing else really jumps out as a must-surf session.

So, to sum it up: the first real chance is Friday the 30th of August and Saturday the 31st, and then another stronger pulse around Thursday the 5th and Friday the 6th of September. Keep an eye on the wind, and if you're an experienced surfer, those are your windows.

Rusty.

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