Tubes Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it.

Tubes (Reef and Point)

Alright, paddlers, let’s talk about Tubes. This is your only real option for the next couple of weeks, and it’s a bit of a story, so stick with me. We’ve got a reef and point set-up that loves a SSW swell, and it’s consistent. Water temp here is sitting at 59°, which is a full 7° colder than normal for this time of year. That is *very* unusual, so you’re going to want the thickest wetsuit you’ve got. It’s not a day for a shorty, that’s for sure.

The early part of the week is a write-off, honestly. We’ve got some serious size rolling in on Wednesday the 16th – 10ft from the SW – but it’s coming with a strong 16 mph SSW wind that’s ruining it. It’s just not clean, and the wave comment says it’s marginal. Massive energy out there (4910), but the conditions are a fight, not a session. Don’t bother paddling out. That rain won’t help either. Thursday and Friday see the swell drop a bit but the wind stays ugly from the east, keeping things choppy and cross. This is grim reading for a while.

Saturday the 19th is still messy, with a cross-onshore wind on a dropping swell. We get a bit of a break on Sunday the 20th. The swell bumps back up to 8ft from the SW and the wind goes almost nothing from the ENE. It’s still a light cross-onshore, but with tiny wind ripples. The energy is solid at 2050. It’s not perfect, but it’s the first look we’ve had all week. It’s a marginal surf forecast, but it’s the best of a bad bunch.

Monday the 21st is a tease. The swell is down to 5ft, but the wind goes cross-off from the SSE, and the conditions go clean. Light rain, but clean. That’s the kind of wind we want. The energy is weak though, at 667.

Now, hold on, because things start to look promising around Thursday the 24th. The swell is back up to 8ft from the SW, and we finally get a proper offshore wind from the W at 6 mph. The wave comment says “expect very good surf conditions.” It’s clean. On Thursday afternoon it jumps to 10ft from the SSW with a fresh 19 mph offshore wind. That’s a lot of wind, but it’s offshore, so the faces will be clean. The energy is massive at 3456. This is a standout.

But the real standout window, the one you want to circle on your calendar, is Friday the 25th. Friday morning brings 8ft from the SSW with glassy conditions. The wave comment is an “Excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” That’s the best of it. The energy is high at 2447, the period is 13 seconds, a proper groundswell. This is a point break, so that long period will peel beautifully down the reef. It’s going to be a day for the crew who can handle it, because 8ft is pushing into expert territory. Friday afternoon stays clean with a moderate offshore, still solid at 8ft.

Saturday the 26th is still clean in the morning with 6ft from the SW, but the wind goes cross-off. It’s good, but not a standout like Friday.

After that, the swell drops off into the end of the month. There’s an offshore on Monday the 28th, but the swell is down to 5ft and then 4ft. It’s rideable, but not exciting. By the 29th and 30th, we’re down to small stuff, with a period of 8 seconds or less. That short-period swell is just not going to do much at a point. The energy drops to 136 by Wednesday the 30th. The conditions are clean due to offshore winds, but it’s just small and weak.

So, the best on offer: Without a doubt, Friday September 25th morning. Glassy, long-period SSW swell at 8ft, massive energy. That’s the session to be ready for. Thursday the 24th afternoon is the backup, with a big 10ft swell and clean offshore wind, just be ready for that fresh breeze.

Otherwise, it’s a long wait with a lot of cross-shore junk to paddle through. Crowds are *sometimes* an issue at Tubes, but on a day like Friday the 25th, expect the word to be out.

Stay warm. Rusty.

Read more