Tunnels Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, this is Rusty. Let’s have a yarn about the next couple of weeks at Tunnels.

Look, I’m gonna be straight with you – the first half of the outlook is a real struggle. We’ve got a long stretch of poor surf conditions with very little to get excited about. From Wednesday the 12th right through to the end of the week, the swell is small and weak – around 3ft to 4ft from the east, with a short, choppy period of just 7 seconds. The combined energy is low, sitting between 131 and 161 (weak energy), and the wind is cross or cross-off, keeping things messy. It’s a tough start.

We finally get a bit of a pulse starting Friday morning the 14th. Swell lifts to 5ft from the east, period stretches to 8 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 288 (moderate). The morning has clean conditions with a cross-off breeze, so it’s looking a bit more promising. But it’s still only marginal, and the afternoon goes back to poor with cross-shore chop.

Saturday the 15th sees a bigger, more powerful swell roll in – 7ft from the east, period up to 12 seconds, and combined energy surging to 1414 (strong). That’s a proper groundswell. The wind is cross though, and with rain showers around, the surface gets lumpy. This swell is getting into the size range that’s best left for experienced surfers – over 8ft on Sunday afternoon, so definitely not for beginners.

The standout window is Sunday the 16th. The afternoon is the pick of the whole forecast. We’re looking at 13ft of east swell, 11-second period, and combined energy of 4127 (very strong). The wind is cross-off and clean, with moderate breeze. That’s a serious, powerful groundswell with clean conditions. This is a big, expert-only wave – Tunnels will be firing but it’s going to be heavy and demanding. The long period works well on this reef, but the size means it’s only for the crew who know what they’re doing.

Monday the 17th still has decent size – 8ft in the morning, dropping to 6ft in the afternoon – with clean cross-off winds. The period drops to 8 seconds though, so it’s less powerful than the day before. Still a good option for those who missed Sunday.

After that, the surf fades fast. From Tuesday the 18th through to the end of the month, we’re back to small, weak easterly swell – 2ft to 5ft, periods mostly 6-8 seconds, and combined energy mostly under 200 (weak). There are a few clean mornings with cross-off winds, but the waves are just too small and gutless to recommend. The 27th of August shows a little uptick – 5ft, 8 seconds, clean conditions – but it’s still marginal.

Overall, the one true standout is Sunday afternoon the 16th. It’s a big, clean, powerful groundswell for experts only. If you’re experienced and hungry, that’s your session. The rest of the window is mostly a waiting game.

Rusty.

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