Tubes Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's get stuck into this 16-day window for Tubes. We've got a real mixed bag ahead, but there are a couple of absolute rippers if you time it right.

The opening part of the outlook kicks off on Thursday, August 20th, and it's a solid start. The water's a shocking 56°F, which is a massive 10°F colder than usual for this time of year – so you'll be wanting a thick steamer, no doubt. But the trade-off is a serious pulse of SSW groundswell. On Thursday morning, we're looking at a clean 13ft set with a period of 14 seconds, generating powerful wave energy (6035). The wind is a light cross-offshore from the WSW, keeping the faces nice and clean. This is proper heavy stuff, over 8ft, so it's strictly for experienced surfers only. The afternoon drops a touch to 12ft, but still solid.

Friday the 21st sees the swell ease a bit, but it's still a chunky 8ft on the morning session. The wind, however, goes light cross-onshore from the East, which will put a bit of a wrinkle on it. By the afternoon, the wind picks up to 16 mph from the ESE, and it turns into a choppy mess.

Saturday the 22nd starts with a clean 8ft swell, but a strong WSW wind of 28 mph is blowing hard cross-off. It’ll be clean, but that wind is going to be a fight. The afternoon is smaller at 5ft with a fresher breeze.

The real standout of the first week, no question, is Sunday the 23rd. We've got a consistent 8ft SSW swell, a solid 11-second period, and the wind is a light cross-offshore. It's clean, with moderate wave energy (1764). This is the pick of the early days for a surfer with a bit of nerve.

Monday the 24th is another beauty. The wind swings offshore from the SW, blowing at a light 6 mph in the morning, making for glassy conditions on a 7ft swell. The afternoon picks up to a moderate offshore breeze, still clean. This is a solid, fun, manageable size for a good session.

The middle of the week gets a bit funky. Tuesday the 25th sees a bump in size to 10ft, but the wind is onshore from the NE, making it a messy proposition. Wednesday the 26th is smaller at 6ft, but the onshore flow continues. By Thursday the 27th, the swell drops right off to 3ft, but the afternoon gets light and clean again.

Now, we hit a bit of a lull. The end of August and the very start of September see a drop in quality. Friday the 28th afternoon is a hidden gem, though. The wind goes glassy, and there's a 5ft swell from the SW with a long 14-second period. It's clean and calling your name for a sunset session. Saturday the 29th has clean, offshore winds in the morning and afternoon, with the swell building to 7ft in the afternoon. Good, solid, clean surf.

The wind turns onshore again on Sunday the 30th and Monday the 31st, with a short-period, choppy ESE swell making for poor conditions. This stretch is a write-off for a good paddle.

But hold onto your board, because the second week has a true standout. The forecast for Tuesday, September 1st, is a beauty. The morning is a clean 5ft, but the afternoon is where it's at. We get a pulse of heavy SSW groundswell, hitting 10ft with a very long 15-second period. The wind is a light cross-offshore from the SSW, and the energy is massive (3451). The water temperature info isn't there for that day, but the quality is top-notch. This is a powerful, heavy wave, so only the experts need apply.

The run continues on Wednesday, September 2nd. The afternoon session is a winner with a clean 10ft SW swell, a 13-second period, and light offshore winds from the SW. That's two days in a row of solid, clean, powerful surf.

The wind howls again on Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th, with strong cross-offshore and cross-onshore winds blowing out the swell. By Friday afternoon, it's back to a choppy 4ft mess.

So, to wrap it up: The absolute best on offer is the afternoon of Thursday, August 20th, for the sheer power and size, and the afternoon of Tuesday, September 1st, for that long-period groundswell and clean conditions. Sunday the 23rd and Monday the 24th are your best bets for clean, solid, but slightly more manageable waves. The rest of the window is a lot of waiting for the wind to play nice.

Stay safe out there, and don't forget the hood.

Rusty.

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