Tunnels Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. We’ve got a 16-day window on the cards, but don’t get too excited just yet—there’s a bit of a slow start. The first few days are messy, but there’s a real standout window shaping up if you’re willing to wait and pick your moment.

The only break on offer is Tunnels, a reef setup that’s consistent and exposed to the north. The water temp is 80.6°, which is bang on average for this time of year—nothing out of the ordinary there.

The early part of the outlook, from Wednesday 2nd September through to Saturday 5th, is pretty average. Swell sits around 4 ft to 6.7 ft, mostly from the ENE with a short, weak 7–8 second period. That short period means the waves lack punch and shape. Winds are cross or cross-off, mostly from the east at 12 mph, so it’s not clean enough to get excited. The combined energy is moderate at best, ranging from 409 to 594 (weak to moderate). It’s surfable, but you’d be doing it for the exercise, not the quality. The morning of the 5th has a long period 14-second groundswell from the east at 4 ft—energy jumps to 831—but it’s still only marginal with cross winds. Not the best.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Sunday 6th September rolls around and we start to see a shift. Swell picks up to a consistent 6.2 ft from the east, but the period hangs around 13 seconds—that’s proper groundswell energy. The combined energy climbs to 1271 (strong) and the winds go cross-off from the east at 12 mph, keeping the surface clean. It’s still rated as marginal, but you can taste the potential.

The real standout is Monday 7th September morning. This is the pick of the whole outlook. We’ve got 6.2 ft of east swell running on a 14-second period, with combined energy hitting 1374 (strong). Winds are cross-off from the southeast at 9 mph—light and clean. The conditions are described as excellent for experienced surfers. Tunnels is a reef, and that long-period east swell is going to wrap in nicely. For the advanced crew, this is the session to aim for. Afternoon sees the swell pushing up to 7.2 ft, still with that 14-second pulse, but energy jumps to 1909 (very strong). The wind stays cross-off, but the comment drops to marginal—likely tide factors or a bit more push. Still, the morning is the goer.

From Tuesday 8th, the swell stays solid—8.2 ft in the morning from the east with a 12-second period (very strong energy at 2037), but that’s getting up there. At over 8 ft, this is expert territory only. Winds are fresh at 19 mph, cross-off, but still clean. After that, the swell fades fast through Wednesday 9th and Thursday 10th, dropping to 4.6 ft–5.2 ft with period falling back to 8 seconds. Energy drops into the 300–400 range (weak). Winds remain cross-off, but it’s just not got the same grunt.

There’s a gap of a few days from Thursday 10th afternoon through to Friday 11th where conditions are poor or marginal. Then on Saturday 12th September morning, we get a little resurgence: 3.6 ft from the ENE but with an 11-second period, and combined energy of 327 (still moderate). Winds are gentle and cross-off from the east at 9 mph. It’s described as “expect good surf conditions.” That’s a fun, smaller day for a reef—longer period means better shape, but at this size, it’s more of a longboard or fish wave.

From Sunday 13th into Monday 14th, things go flat and poor—swell under 3.3 ft, short period, cross winds, energy below 150. Not worth paddling out. Then Tuesday 15th afternoon shows a tiny spike: 4.6 ft from the ENE, 7-second period, but light cross-off winds from the east at 6 mph and energy of 312. It’s clean but small and short-period—only if you’re keen for a splash.

From Wednesday 16th through to Thursday 17th, the swell stays small—2.6 ft to 3.6 ft—with a mix of 8–9 second periods and light east or northeast winds. The morning of the 17th has 3.6 ft from the east with an 8-second period, light cross-off wind, and combined energy of 248 (weak). Described as “expect good surf conditions.” It’s small, but clean and surfable for a quiet session.

So, bottom line: the standout is Monday 7th September morning at Tunnels—6.2 ft of east groundswell at 14 seconds, cross-off winds, strong energy. That’s the one to circle. If you miss it, Saturday 12th morning offers a smaller but clean option. The rest is mostly marginal or poor, with a few bright spots for the patient. Tunnels is consistent, so it’s unlikely to stay flat for long, but this run is patchy.

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