Tuckers Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, surfers, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you. We’re looking at a tough stretch ahead for Tuckers. The models are showing a lot of small, weak, or blown-out surf for the next couple of weeks. It’s not going to be a total write-off, but it’s going to be a grind for the most part.

The start of this period is pretty grim. From Monday the 17th through to Wednesday the 19th, there’s just not much energy in the water. We’re looking at tiny waves, well under 2ft, with a weak combined energy reading (under 159). The wind is mostly cross or onshore, kicking up some chop. Not worth paddling out for.

Then we get a slight improvement on Thursday the 20th and into the weekend. The swell stays small, around 2ft to 3ft, but the wind turns offshore or goes glassy, especially on the 20th and 21st. There’s a bit of life to it, but these are very ordinary conditions. You might get a slow, clean little wave on a longboard, but you won’t be missing much if you stay home. The combined energy stays weak to moderate, all well under 150.

The real change happens around the 25th and 26th of August. The swell finally shows up, building to 5ft on Tuesday morning, and then pushing to 8ft by Wednesday afternoon. The combined energy readings jump way up, to 956, then 1149, and over 2000 by the 26th. This is the most size we’ll see, but here’s the catch – the wind is straight onshore from the SSE or SSE at 15 to 25 km/h. That’s going to turn Tuckers into a lumpy, messy closeout. Not good for paddling. This setup looks far more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The day after, Thursday the 27th, sees the biggest swell of the period, hitting 12ft with a strong 3522 energy reading. But again, the wind is a mess – fresh cross-shore from the E at 35 km/h, and then a near gale from the NNE at 50 km/h in the arvo. This is well over the 8ft mark, so it’s expert-only at best, and even then, the conditions will be chaotic.

By Friday the 28th, the swell drops back down and the wind swings offshore. We’re back to 4ft and clean, but the energy has dissipated. It’s surfable, yes, but the quality is just okay. After that, it’s another drop back into the small and weak stuff for the rest of the month and into September, with a lot of wind and small, short-period swell.

So, looking at the whole 16-day window, the only real standout is the clean window on the 20th and 21st, but that’s for tiny waves. The bigger swell later in the month is all blown out. For the real size, you’re looking at the 25th to 27th, but those days are for the kamikazes only, and even then it’s a lottery. The water temp is sitting at 84°, which is about 2° warmer than usual for this time of year. Not a big deal, a little warm.

It’s not a promising outlook, folks. The first week is a dud, and the second week is a tease. Keep the boards in the car, but maybe keep your expectations low.

Rusty.

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