Tunnels Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Tunnels. It’s a bit of a slow start, but there’s a glimmer of something special to get the blood pumping later on.

The first few days are tough. The surf is there, but the conditions are messy. We’re looking at chest to head high sets from the ENE, around 5 to 6 feet, but the period is short, around 6 to 8 seconds, so it’s all wind chop and weak, crumbly lines. The east wind is a cross-off, which is the right direction, but it’s a stiff 12 to 16 mph breeze, so it’s tearing the surface up. The energy is weak to moderate (340 to 370). Honestly, it’s a struggle. Not much to get excited about from Wednesday the 22nd through to Friday the 24th.

Things start to look a bit more promising by Saturday the 25th. The swell ticks up to 6 feet from the ENE, with a period of 8 seconds. The energy is starting to build (506). The wind is still cross-off but the sea is a little cleaner. It’s not a standout, but it’s a step in the right direction.

Then, hold onto your boards. Sunday the 26th brings a real shift. The morning is still a bit bumpy with a cross-shore wind, but the afternoon is a beauty. The swell drops to 3 feet, but that’s from the east with a superb 15-second period – that’s proper groundswell. The energy is strong (774). And the wind? Light 12 mph cross-off, keeping it glassy. This is a serious window for a quality, long-period groundswell. Tunnels is a reef, so this long-period energy will groom into some beautiful, powerful lines. It’s an advanced break, so the crowd might be there, but for the experienced surfer, this is the pick of the first week.

The wave energy continues to build into Monday the 27th and Tuesday the 28th. Tuesday morning is the absolute standout of the whole forecast. The combined energy is ripping at 1017 – that’s strong. We’ve got 5 feet of east swell with a 13-second period, and the wind is a gentle 9 mph cross-off. The conditions are clean, the swell is powerful, and the wave comment says it all: "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers." This is the one. If you can get out there, that’s the session to aim for.

The rest of the second week fades a bit. Energy drops, the wind shifts a touch more cross, and the consistency gets messy. There’s a pulse of long-period swell on the 3rd of August (16 seconds) but it’s wrapped in a cross-shore wind, so it’s a gamble. The end of the run, around the 6th of August, sees energy drop right off (480) with a small, clean, but weak 5-foot east swell. A cruisy option for the longboarders, but nothing to set the world on fire.

So, the best on offer is the window from the afternoon of Sunday the 26th through to Tuesday the 28th. The real standout is Tuesday morning, the 28th of July. Get ready for that one.

Rusty.

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